Canadian Labour Reporter

lAboUr brieFs 2 Canadian HR Reporter, a Thomson Reuters business 2014 Alberta to beef up labour relations with construction sector CALGARy — Following a re- port from a prominent labour lawyer, Alberta has announced an upcoming overhaul of its labour relations with the con- struction sector. Released on April 30 by la- bour lawyer Andrew Sims, the report — a year in the making — prompted the government to provide long-term stability for labour in the construction industries. As part of his recommenda- tions, Sims urged the labour department to beef up the way it conducts business with em- ployers and employees in con- struction — such as requiring all collective agreements to include "major project" provi- sions. That means disputes re- garding the terms of a major construction project would be resolved through binding arbi- tration, rather than a strike or lockout. While the construction field in Alberta has churned out a high volume of projects with little labour unrest, Sims said the system needs to be modernized to keep up with a changing industry. "Stability, predictability and balance are essential to con- tinued success," he explained. "These recommendations, made after wide consultation, will update these systems to reflect changes within the in- dustry, adding clarity where needed, while maintaining those features that have made it successful over time." Other recommendations include defining the scope of the bargaining system, which would protect local unions by requiring international or par- ent unions to adhere to existing collective agreements, as well as introducing a "build-up" prin- ciple that would direct the pro- vincial labour relations board to re-evaluate its process based on their anticipated size. Sims report further sug- gested major transmission line construction, which would al- low the labour board to exam- ine whether transmission lines should be placed in the spe- cialty construction section for bargaining purposes. And lastly, the report urged stakeholder dialogue, includ- ing regular meetings between industry, labour and govern- ment. Labour minister Thomas Lukaszuk welcomed the report and said he intends to imple- ment its recommendations. "These changes are designed to maintain a balance between the needs of industry and la- bour and will create an atmo- sphere of stability for years to come," he said. Teachers form new union at Montreal college MONTREAL — A new union at a college in Montreal has formed. Teachers at Marianopolis College, a century-old post- secondary institution, officially certified at the end of April by joining the Fédération national des enseignantes et des ensei- gnantes du Quebec (FNEEQ- CSN). The group of 150 teachers make the ninth union from the private college level to join the union. "We have been seeing a rise in affiliation requests in recent years, which sends a strong signal that private col- lege teachers are increasingly aware of the advantages of joining forces to further their demands on working condi- tions and the exercise of their profession," said Caroline Quesnel, an FNEEQ-CSN spokesperson, who added that, "Their presence in our federation will certainly en- rich our representation in the higher education sector." Up next for teachers at the college will be to hold their in- augural general assembly and elect members of the executive committee. "We want to extend our sin- cerest welcome to this new union and its members, and to ensure them of our commit- ment to supporting them in their efforts to bring respect and equity to the forefront of their workplace," Quesnel went on to say. Commuters and shoppers queue for access to transit in London, Eng- land, at one of the only open stations during a strike. Talks failed in the eleventh hour and a two-day strike ensued following London Under- ground's plans to cut jobs and close ticket offi ces. FORMERLy CLV REPORTS Serving labour relations professionals since 1956 www.labour-reporter.com Published weekly by omson Reuters Canada Ltd. Subscription rate: $595 per year Customer Service Tel: (416) 609-3800 (Toronto) (800) 387-5164 (outside Toronto) Fax: (416) 298-5106 Email: carswell.customerrelations@ thomsonreuters.com Website: www.carswell.com Director, Carswell Media Karen Lorimer Publisher John Hobel Managing Editor Todd Humber News Editor Sabrina Nanji | (416) 649-9348 sabrina.nanji@thomsonreuters.com News Editor Liz Foster | (416) 298-5129 liz.foster@thomsonreuters.com Marketing Co-ordinator Travis Chan | (416) 609-5872 travis.chan@thomsonreuters.com © 2014 Carswell, a division of omson Reuters Canada Ltd. 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