Canadian Labour Reporter

2 Canadian HR Reporter, a HAB Press business 2019 Unifor fi les common- employer application TORONTO — Unifor filed an application with the Canada In- dustrial Relations Board (CIRB) on May 21 claiming that Bell Canada is the rightful employer of technicians and clerical work- ers at Expertech, insisting that members should be bargaining with Bell Canada. "What we're saying is that Expertech is a puppet, owned and controlled wholly by Bell Canada," said Jerry Dias, Unifor national president. "We don't bargain with puppets. Unifor members deserve to sit across the table from their employer, Bell Canada." The union submitted the ap- plication for Expertech techni- cians and clerical workers to the CIRB, claiming that Bell Canada is the real employer and not Ex- pertech, and as a result, these members ought to be covered by the Bell Canada craft and clerical collective agreements, said the union. Bell Canada created and is the sole owner of Expertech and it has been steadily decreasing the work allocated to members at Expertech, said Unifor. The union has witnessed the "absolute control" Bell has over Expertech's contracts, resulting in business decisions that have led to layoffs and displacement of jobs, said the union. Matcon employees in Langley, B.C., ratify deal LANGLEY, B.C. — Employ- ees of Matcon Civil Construc- tors in Langley, B.C., voted 73 per cent in favour of ratifying a new three-year collective agree- ment providing them with wage increases and premium hikes. The 98 employees include heavy-equipment operators, gradepersons, pipe layers and labourers. They have been represented by the Construc- tion and Allied Workers Union, CLAC Local 68, since 1996. The new agreement provides employees with wage increases of 6.5 per cent over three years. Those who work a single mid- week night shift will be paid double wages plus their night- shift premium. The boot allow- ance was increased by $50 to $300, said the union. Employer payments toward the cost of the benefits plan will increase almost eight per cent to $1.78 per hour and the em- ployer will also cover the cost of road tolls if the B.C. government introduces them, said CLAC. Quebec Wild Blueberries plant workers sign fi rst deal NEWPORT, Que. — Unifor members working at a Quebec Wild Blueberries frozen food processing plant in Newport, Que., voted 96 per cent in fa- vour of the terms of their first collective agreement during a general meeting held on May 17. Unifor was accredited in spring 2018 to represent the employees of the plant, said the union. The new 28-month collective agreement significantly en- hances the working conditions of employees and offers them better protections, according to Unifor. The wage increases will total 4.25 per cent for 2019 and 2020. In addition, a salary increase will be applicable as of May 2019 which represents a wage increase of between three and eight per cent of current hourly rates, said the union. LABOUR BRIEFS FORMERLY CLV REPORTS Serving labour relations professionals since 1956 www.labour-reporter.com Published weekly by HAB Press, a subsidiary of Key Media Subscription rate: $599 per year Customer Service Tel: (416) 609-3800 (Toronto) (800) 387-5164 (outside Toronto) Email: info@habpress.ca Website: www.labour-reporter.com President Tim Duce Editor/Supervisor Sarah Dobson | (416) 649-7896 sarah.dobson@habpress.ca News Editor John Dujay | (416) 298-5129 john.dujay@habpress.ca Sales Manager Paul Burton | (416) 649-9928 paul.burton@habpress.ca Marketing Co-ordinator Keith Fulford | (416) 649-9585 keith.fulford@habpress.ca Labour Reporter Canadian www.labour-reporter.com LABOUR LENS Photo: REUTERS/Eva Plevier ©2019 HAB Press All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system or transmitted, in any form or by any means, electronic, photocopying, recording or otherwise without the written permission of the publisher (HAB Press). Return Mail Registration # 1522825 Return Postage Guaranteed Paid News Revenue Toronto e publisher is not engaged in rendering legal, accounting or other professional advice. If legal or other expert assistance is required, the services of a competent professional should be sought. e analysis contained herein represents the opinion of the authors and should in no way be construed as being either offi cial or unoffi cial policy of any governmental body. ISSN 0045-5113 Publications Registration 2089 Canadian Labour Reporter is part of the Canadian HR Reporter group of publications. Visit www.hrreporter.com for more information. A man is seen at the empty tracks of the departure train platform at the main Amsterdam railway station during a national public transport strike in the Netherlands on May 28, as workers demand higher pensions and the right to retire at 66.

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