WSIB reportedly eyeing 3M Canada headquarters building

The Workplace Safety and Insurance Board (WSIB) is reportedly considering the 3M Canada headquarters building at 300 Tartan Drive in its plans to relocate its headquarters to London, CTV reported this week, citing “multiple sources.” They noted that the building’s online listing has recently been updated, now reading “under contract.” There had been some hope ― at city hall, within the commercial real estate sector ― that WSIB might make a splashy relocation into some downtown office space. For now, nobody is spilling the beans. Labour minister Monte McNaughton said, “Our government promised to move the WSIB to London and we're getting it done,” while the WSIB said that they “have been actively looking to confirm the ideal location for our new head office for many months, and that comprehensive process continues.”

The upshot: It’s been more than a year since the Ford government announced (shortly before an election) that they were planning on moving the WSIB headquarters to London; some might have started wondering if it was ever actually going to happen. Lots about the 3M Building makes sense ― it’s near the 401, has room for expansion and is a prominent, iconic building with an industrial background. At about 135,000 square feet it’s a bit smaller than the WSIB’s current 600,000 square-foot HQ, but it’s also expected that the in-person workforce will be smaller than it was pre-pandemic, so the size may be right, too. 

Read more: CTV London

Jill Wilcox and Allan Drewlo named 2023 London & District Business Hall of Fame laureates

Two more names are being added to the London & District Business Hall of Fame this year: Allan Drewlo, president of Drewlo Holdings and Jill Wilcox, owner of Jill’s Table on King Street. The 2023 London and District Business Hall of Fame Laureate announcement was made on Thursday by Junior Achievement South Western Ontario. It’s an honour that adds to their list of accolades – Drewlo was recently awarded the Jim MacKinnon Community Builder Award for his philanthropic pursuits (which include establishing the Research Chair in the Kidney Unit at University Hospital), while Wilcox has been awarded the London Chamber’s Business Achievement and Retailer of the Year Award by the Canadian Gift and Tablewares Association. Established in 1990, the London and District Business Hall of Fame was created to honour respected members of the London and area business community, past and present, for their outstanding contributions to business, entrepreneurship and philanthropy.

The upshot: Awards like this are often a window into what the community (in this case, the business community) values in any given year, and these two fit the bill – one, a community-minded housing developer, and the other a retail entrepreneur. “Our 2023 Laureates could not be a better example of what it means to be a business leader,” said JA president Karen Gallant. “Allan and Jill have made outstanding contributions to the London region in the areas of business, entrepreneurship and philanthropy and serve as an inspiration to us all. We look forward to celebrating them at our Gala in October and invite the community to join us.” The two will be fêted and officially inducted)at this year’s 2023 London and District Business Hall of Fame Gala, held in October. 

Read more: London Free Press

New labour deal reached at Labatt

Workers at Labatt Brewery have ratified a new contract with the beermaker, with 86 per cent of the more than 400 employees at the Simcoe Street plant voting to approve the four-year contract late last week. It’s been a fairly protracted negotiation process ― the two sides have been negotiating since 2022, and the members of SEIU Local 2 had rejected two previous agreements reached earlier this year. The union had been preparing to walk off as early as this week. Details of the latest offer haven’t been made public, but the union local president told the London Free Press that there was more money for workers in the latest proposal. Labatt said they were happy to have reached a deal, saying, “This outcome allows us to continue to deliver great products to our customers across Canada from right here in London.”

The upshot: There’s an interesting trend that we’ve seen a bit more of recently, in the union rejecting several deals reached by their negotiating teams. SEIU Local 2 president Jeff Robinson said that workers are “demanding more not only from employers, but of unions,” as well. Amid inflation and cost-of-living concerns, gone are the days where deals reached would necessarily be ratified. “Our first deal that would normally have passed back in February was soundly rejected by the members and they sent us back to the table,” Robinson told CTV. “Then the company gave us another final offer and they soundly rejected that by 94 per cent. And they gave us the leverage to go back to the table and get what they needed.”

Read more: CTV London | London Free Press

King’s University College strengthens ties in India

King’s University College announced this week that it has signed a second memorandum of understanding with an Indian university ― this one with GD Goenka University, located in Delhi. The MOU, the college says, is based on organizing future student pathways and exchanges, faculty mobility, joint research activities and collaboration on other bilateral academic cooperation, and will last for five years. “This term, 22.8 per cent of King’s students are international, and we are wanting to increase the number of students in that group who are originally from India,” said David Malloy, King’s president. “The programs through these MOUs come at the right time for us. Our students from India are great leaders on campus academically and they get involved in campus life.”

The upshot: The overall aim of the agreement is likely to make it easier for more students to come over to King’s for their post-secondary education. Understandable, since international students ― and international student fees ― are a prized asset for schools these days. There’s a tremendous demand within India for these kinds of program as well. According to one calculation, 40 per cent of the Indian diaspora here in Canada are university students, as demand surges for western education. Malloy was on hand in Delhi to sign the agreement recently, as well as to promote the new International Student Award ― a $32,000 financial aid program that the school calls “a testament to King’s commitment to attracting and supporting talented and ambitious students from India.”

Read more: King's University College