Many IUPAT members have been asking what will be done with our building at 130 Toro Road now that we have moved into our new facility right next door. Well, the building at 130 Toro Road continues to house the OIFSC training centre which provides painting, glazing and health and safety training for our apprentices and members. The training centre will expand a bit to house a new classroom with 20 new state of the art computers to help train our members.
However, the most exciting news about the building at 130 Toro is that plans are now in the works to transform the front of the building into a “Health and Dental Centre” for use by IUPAT D.C.46 members. “It’s an exciting time,” said D.C.46 Business Manager Joe Russo. “The plan is to provide a health and dental clinic where IUPAT members and their families can receive a variety of health related services. There will be a dental clinic for sure, and we are in talks to see if we can add a pharmacy, optometrist and eye glass centre, massage clinic, podiatrist, etc.” Russo went on to state that the intent here is to expand and improve upon the “one-stop shopping” model which we pride ourselves in offering to our members. Right now the Union office, Benefit Plan Administrators, Union hall, and the OIFSC training centre are located at the “Union Campus” comprised of the 130 and 132 Toro Road buildings. With the opening of the health and dental centre, the members can accomplish more activities when they come to visit us on Toro Road.
Although it is not yet certain when the Union Health and Dental Centre will open, Russo is hopeful that it will open sometime before the fall of this year. The other good news for our members, continued Russo, “is that not only will the Health and Dental Clinic provide a convenient location for the members, but we are hoping that IUPAT members will also receive some special offers, promotions and discounts for visiting the Health and Dental Clinic.”
Russo said that he is only aware of one other construction Union that offers a similar clinic for its members but stated that the IUPAT’s plans are unique and will offer something to IUPAT members that has never been seen before. “We respect everything our members do and how hard they work. By developing this health and dental centre, we are simply doing something more to help improve their lives and make things a little easier and more convenient for our members and their families.”
