This year is expected to be a year of prosperity for maintenance workers in Alberta; a year in which a series of spring care measures were planned across the province. The interviews I had imagined were discussions with your local union leaders who tried to determine how we would respond to the demands for staff for the work that lay ahead. Today, we should be in the middle of several important maintenance events; But it`s not us. We are in the middle of a pandemic, we are in the middle of massive layoffs, we are in the middle of an unknown period. Most customers have postponed their spring rotations, cancelled investments (which ultimately impacts us), and focused on the fact that they now have only essential services in their facilities. Clients try to understand how the work on their websites can be done safely without endangering our members. We are in the midst of a global pandemic and, to top it all off, we have reached record levels of oil prices. As you know, most of our maintenance work in the province is related to the petrochemical industry and low oil prices have had a profound impact on many of our customers. No one should be surprised that several customers have turned to our contractors for help.

They asked our contractors to talk to the union management to look for cost savings. and work with them through these difficult times. I hope this communication will find you and your family safe and healthy in these unprecedented times. I would like to begin by thanking all those who continue to perform maintenance work under the GPMA and NMA agreements in Alberta. Thanks to your sacrifice and dedication to our industry and crafts, many industrial facilities have been able to continue to operate throughout the province. Your contributions have not gone unnoticed. I can only imagine what mental tribute the work must have in the current environment of our members; It should be difficult to use your skills and maintain the proper social distancing necessary to ensure your safety and that of your staff. For those who are unemployed, this must also be difficult; When will I go back to work, how will I take care of my family are some of the many questions you need to ask yourself every day.