Canadian Labour Reporter

FEBRUARY 18, 2014 2 Canadian HR Reporter, a Thomson Reuters business 2014 Salespeople locked out by Trader Corporation MONTREAL — About 20 advertising sales- people in Quebec have been locked out by Trader Corporation. The company locked out the employ- ees after its latest offer was rejected by 77 per cent of members. The Syndicat des Employées et Em- ployés Professionnels et de Bureau (CTC-FTQ) Local 574 — the union representing the salespeople — said the proposal was not described to em- ployees as a final offer but as the com- pany's best possible offer. The union said the lockout came "sud- denly and with no warning," and noted the company's proposal did not include a commission plan, which is considered standard in the field of sales. This will be the first collective agree- ment between the salespeople and Trader Corporation. The main issues are com- pensation and workload. Carleton University accused of unfair labour practices OTTAWA — Carleton University in Ottawa was slapped with an unfair labour prac- tice complaint after it banned union para- phernalia from its uniforms. On Feb. 4, the Ontario Public Ser- vice Employees Union (OPSEU), which represents campus safety workers, took its case to the Ontario Labour Relations Board, alleging the school's action were anti-union. According to the university, union but- tons and stickers do not conform to uni- form policy, and ordered them removed from all clothing. "I do not believe for a minute that Car- leton University is acting out of concern about their uniform policy. This employ- er is attempting to undermine contract negotiations," said Warren "Smokey" Thomas, president of OPSEU. Tensions between the union and uni- versity administration came to a boiling point after a conciliation officer had to be called in to assist with contract ne- gotiations. "I have been told to remove my union button. Yet my employer has never had a problem with me wearing a pin or ribbon before," said Brent Gobeo, vice-president of the local chapter and chair of OPSEU's bargaining team at Carleton. "Now the employer is being openly anti-union. This is not the best way to arrive at a collective agreement with your staff." Of particular concern is understaffing, Gobeo said, adding a lack of investment in frontline staff coupled with university growth has heightened the need for a safer campus. Labatt workers ratify new collective agreement SAINT JOhN'S — Striking workers at the Labatt plant in St. John's, N.L., voted to accept the latest collective agreement. The deal between the brewing com- pany and employees represented by the Newfoundland and Labrador Association of Public and Private Employees (NAPE) ended an 11-month-long strike. "It was a difficult round of bargaining as was evident by the job action taken by the 45 employees," said NAPE president Carol Furlong. "Ultimately, both parties were successful in finding resolutions to many complex issues during this round of collective bargaining." Furlong said the union and em- ployer dedicated the past two months to finding a settlement to the ongoing dispute with the assistance of a concili- ation officer. The union is now lifting its boycott on Labatt products, in effect since June. "We believe the support from the peo- ple of our province for the boycott had a significant impact on the outcome and we are very appreciative of that support," Furlong said. "We hope that the public will continue that show of support for those workers and return to purchasing Labatt products." The new agreement is set to expire in March 2020 and could see employees re- turning to work as early as next week. FORMERLY CLV REPORTS Serving labour relations professionals since 1956 www.labour-reporter.com Published weekly by Thomson Reuters Canada Ltd. 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If legal or other expert assistanceis required, the services of a competent professional should be sought. The analysis contained herein represents the opinion of the authors and should in no way be construed as being either official or unofficial 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. canadian labour reporter Labour Briefs A look at labour news from across Canada. For regular news updates, visit Canadian Labour Reporter at www.labour-reporter.com

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