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www.oakvillebeaver.com · OAKVILLE BEAVER Thursday, July 22, 2010 · 8 IUOE steps up with gala to help family The International Union of Operating Engineers (IUOE) Local 793 has raised more than $10,000 to aid an Oakville family in its fight against deportation to England. Local 793 Business Manager Mike Gallagher said he was very happy with the result of a recent fundraiser stating Lee Mallozzi, his wife Josie and children Nico and Serea (originally from Bath, England) will be able to use the funds to pay legal expenses and to get on their feet again. "We are very pleased at the amount generated at our fundraiser," said Gallagher. "The Mallozzis needed help and union staff and members responded in a big way." The Mallozzis came to Canada on a work permit three years ago when Lee accepted a job offer for a supervisory position at an Ontario steel company. Josie said the family was initially told if they wanted to stay all they had to do was renew the visa when the time came. As a result, the family did not apply for permanent residency, but everything seemed fine until last year when the family attempted to renew the work permit. This decision saved the family from complete devastation because they were locked into a five-year clause that prevents them from selling their $300,000 Oakville home. If they were forced to return to England, they would not have the money from the sale to rebuild their lives. The Mallozzis are now going through the process of reapplying for a work permit, after which they intend to apply for permanent residency. However, with their only source of revenue coming from family members in the area little money is available for the costs involved. This is why the Local 793 fundraiser has proven so important. Gallagher said the union organized the fundraiser because the Mallozzis have been caught up in bureaucratic red tape and their situation is a prime example of why Canada's immigration system needs to be revamped. "It is time for the federal government to stand up and make the proper choices," said Gallagher. "This is no way of approaching immigration in our country." Gallagher said Lee has the proper training and credentials to be an excavator operator and the union has made him a member and would like to put him to work. He also pointed out a Construction Sector Council study indicates there will be a need for 8,000 new heavy equipment operators between 2010 and 2018 in Ontario due to increased employment and loss of workers. "To meet the construction workforce requirements of the future, our industry must welcome internationally trained workers like Lee who have the skills and training to meet our needs," said Gallagher. "I am hopeful that this family's immigration issues can be settled soon so that Lee is able to return to work." SUBMITTED PHOTO SUPPORTING FAMILY: From left, the International Union of Operating Engineers (IUOE) Local 793 Business Manager Mike Gallagher with Lee Mallozzi, his wife Josie, and Oakville Town Councillor Max Khan at a recent fundraiser in Oakville. "We went to extend our visa and they had it for months and months and months and then immigration rang us up two days before it was to expire and told us that the rules have changed and the employer must apply for a new work permit," said Josie in a previous interview. "So we were applying again as though we were in another country. It didn't matter that we were already here." Lee's employer did fill out a new application, but it was ultimately rejected. Citizenship and Immigration Canada has refused to comment directly on the Mallozzis' case. With no status, Lee found himself in a position where he was not allowed to work and the family's oldest child Serea was not permitted to go to school. Josie said the situation got to the point where the government was telling them to leave Canada immediately, but Citizenship and Immigration Canada departed from this stance after significant media attention was drawn to the Mallozzis' case.