PM
#40065782
Labour Reporter
Canadian
www.labour-reporter.com
June 23, 2014
Labour law changes
unionization rules
N.L. introduces secret ballot voting
BY SABRINA NANJI
UNiONS iN NEWFOUNDLAND and Labrador fear the government's
sweeping changes to labour laws will make it more difficult to unionize.
Though it has only been two years since the province made amend-
ments to the Labour Relations Act, this June saw the speedy passing of Bill
22, which established a new two-step certification process, including a
mandatory secret ballot vote.
Under the new law, a clear majority of workers must vote to certify, re-
gardless of how many signed union cards. As well, a certification vote with
less than 70 per cent voter turnout counts those who don't vote as auto-
matically voting against unionization.
As well, new provisions would first establish a conciliation process to
work with both employers and unions in an attempt to reach an agreement
at the bargaining table before any strike measures might be taken.
This backtracks from the previous card-check system, which saw au-
tomatic certification when 65 per cent of employees signed union cards.
That legislation was introduced in 2012 after then-labour minister Terry
FOOD SERVICES
First North Catering
Fort McMurray, Alta.
(About 65 workers) and Unite Here Local 47
Renewal agreement: Effective
July 1, 2012, to June 30, 2016.
Signed on Feb. 6, 2014.
Wage adjustments:
Effective July 1, 2012: 2.5%
Effective July 1, 2013: 3%
Effective July 1, 2014: 3.5%
Effective July 1, 2015: 2%
Shift premium: 50¢ for camp
attendant cleaners. 75¢ per
Movers and Shakers
Alex Colvin, an expert in labour
relations and con ict resolution,
sat down with CLR to discuss the
possibility of globalizing
the labour movement.
ARBITRATION
AWARDS
see Collective agreements > pg. 3
Demotion leads to accusation of discrimination pg. 6
Calgary Exhibition and Stampede - Alta. pg. 3 Heritage Park Historical
Village - Calgary. pg. 3 Town of Antigonish- N.S. pg. 4 Ontario Hospital
Association - Province-wide. pg. 4 Memorial University - St. John's,
N.L. pg. 5 Summit Food Distributors - London, Ont. pg. 5
Suspension stands for
worker who walked away
AFTER UNEXPECTEDLY
walking off the job, a 16-year vet-
eran lumber mill worker's bid to
have his suspension reversed was
denied — but he was entitled to
the holiday pay he lost.
Mike Whitney, a green chain
piler employed at Tembec En-
terprises in Ontario, was issued
a five-day suspension after he left
his co-workers in a lurch by going
home early, and without explana-
tion.
Further complicating the mat-
COLLECTIVE
AGREEMENTS
ColleCtive
Agreements
ArbitrAtion
AwArds
Photo:
Fred
Prouser
(Reuters)
Secret ballot voting, hotly-contested in labour circles, is back in New-
foundland and Labrador after the government made amendments to
its certifi cation process — much to the dismay of unions.
Negotiate with confidence.
Mock sessions. Best practices. Program leaders with real-world experience.
Choose Queen's IRC and thrive in your next negotiation session.
i r c . q u e e n s u . c a
see Arbitration > pg. 6
see New > pg. 7
pg. 8
