Most recently, we have been working with a marketing team to develop a new employment and training database for our members. The goal is to offer our members a one-stop place for job and training postings in the diamond drilling and mining industry. We are currently working with various training partners and employers to ensure our members are able to both access and advertise employment opportunities. If you are interested in supporting this endeavour or would like more information please contact us at office@cdda.ca.
Throughout the years, the CDDA has successfully tackled many bureaucratic and political issues over the past half century: federal and provincial taxation laws, changes to the Mining Labor Acts, flow-through shares, inflation, environmental policies, and compensation rates. Many issues have repeated themselves over the years, but the Association continually strives to strengthen its lobbying position for the betterment of our industry. We do this with the consent of other organizations and agencies that have interests similar to ours, in the belief that a collective voice can carry much more weight than a single cry in the dark.
Our successes more than compensate for the occasional frustration. We have seen the reduction or elimination of onerous taxes and surcharges. We established a Driller’s Training Program and implemented industry-wide environmental guidelines. We have worked directly with governmental agencies to introduce a Common Core Training Program and a Workplace Hazardous Materials Information System. We have produced manuals, guides, and policies, submitted briefs to governments, and lobbied for the best interests of the industry.
We have gained concessions on such things as compensation rate stabilization, assessment adjustments, and fair benefit payouts for our workers. We have standardized diamond-drilling equipment and published a related information manual, which is available in both metric and imperial measuring systems. We have set up advisory committees to deal with specific industry concerns and, along the way, we have built a solid reputation among the international drilling community for our foresight and fortitude.