The Acoustical Association Ontario (AAO) is an Employers’ Association which represents approximately fifty (50) unionized contractors engaged in interior finishing construction in the Industrial, Commercial and Institutional (ICI) sectors of the construction industry in Ontario, Canada. Specifically, AAO member contractors perform drywall, acoustic, insulation and fireproofing work throughout the province, including such areas as Windsor, London, Cambridge, Kitchener, Waterloo, Niagara, Hamilton, Toronto, Oshawa, Kingston and Ottawa.
Operating since the early 1960’s, AAO was established to represent its members in labour relations. Its goal has been to establish and promote an employer-employee policy that would lead to a sound and harmonious relationship with any employee bargaining agent representing the employees of members of the Association.
As a member of the Carpenters’ Employer Bargaining Agency (EBA), an organization designated in 1978 by the Province of Ontario to negotiate Provincial Collective Agreements with the United Brotherhood of Carpenters & Joiners of America, AAO represents its member employers in Province Wide Collective Bargaining.
AAO is also a member of the Painters & Allied Trades Employer Bargaining Agency (EBA), also designated in 1978 to negotiate Provincial Collective Agreements. AAO functions on this EBA by representing those members who employ "Drywall Tapers" that are members of the International Union of Painters & Allied Trades.
In addition to its industrial relations role, AAO works to promote the welfare and enhance the interests of its members and the industry at large by:
- the collection and distribution of useful and reliable information
- promoting and maintaining improved methods of business
- attempting to improve the knowledge and skill of members and their employees
AAO has always, through its membership, maintained a tradition of integrity, professionalism and a commitment to sound methods of construction. As our by-line indicates, AAO is truly Provincial in scope, but more importantly, it is Provincial in outlook. Recognizing that it represents contractors from a huge geographical area, AAO has always attempted to be sensitive to the needs of all members and their employees, no matter what geographical area they operate in. Therefore, in order to accommodate all areas, AAO attempts to draw its Executive Board from all the geographic areas in Ontario. In addition, AAO provides for complete representation from these geographical areas by instituting a council of Local Area Representatives. These representatives attend all the meetings of the Association’s Executive Board and they assist the Board on issues respecting each of their Local Areas.
However, AAO also understands that each Local Area also needs the flexibility to deal with and manage its business environment to the nuances of the jurisdiction in which these members operate. Therefore, to meet the needs of these various jurisdictions, AAO funds, where warranted, District Groups or Local Area Associations. These funds allow the Local Areas the opportunity to operate a Local Association to meet the needs of the contractors in that area.