Canadian Labour Reporter

7 Canadian HR Reporter, a Thomson Reuters business 2014 CANADIAN LABOUR REPORTER news Photo: Mike Cassese (Reuters) Bargaining tactics key in mergers: Labour lawyer < from pg. 1 Neumann. "We'll go to work im- mediately." While the merger agreement will not take effect until Jan. 1, Neumann said collaboration be- tween the two leadership factions — concerning collective bargain- ing, education, organizing and legislative action — has already begun. The unions' former strategic al- liance and shared values paved the way for progress, said TWU na- tional president Lee Riggs. "We actually did go out and talk to eight unions, and went through an application process," Riggs said. "At the end of the day, the Steel- workers came out on top of that vetting process. The most impor- tant thing that I believe makes us work and will make this merger work is that the culture of the Steelworkers and the culture of the TWU are very much aligned. It's membership-driven, very demo- cratic. The people within these two organizations really believe in members first." Once the USW were selected, the parties launched the long pro- cess of negotiations, merger agree- ments and ratification votes. Following a failed merger bid last year, the TWU's membership voted 73.7 per cent in favour of joining the USW on Nov. 7. Bal- loting was conducted electroni- cally over a 24-day period to facil- itate participation by members in all workplaces, communities and shift arrangements. Just over half of the total TWU membership participated in the vote, a record turnout for the union for any rati- fication process. The USW has participated in 18 mergers in recent years. "It was a long, drawn-out pro- cess, much different from some of the other mergers we've done," said Neumann. "I'm very pleased that it's now come to its full circle and we surely look forward to working with a new group of tele- communications workers across the country." TWU's membership doubles the USW's representation in federally regulated industries. The incom- ing membership also overlaps with many areas supported by the USW, Neumann said, making the union a stronger voice in those communi- ties. He also looks forward to the ideas and energy the workers will bring to the union. Several of the USW's current leaders come from former mergers, Neumann said. The TWU, in turn, benefits from the Steelworkers' resourc- es. The communications work- ers will have access to the USW's education and research as well as its $300-million strike and de- fence fund. "There's no such thing as a sec- ond-class steelworker," Neumann said. "The minute they become members, they will have access." It is welcome news for the TWU which, following a lengthy labour dispute in 2005, has largely ab- stained from organizing. "The TWU is a strong union. We're financially sound and we've got strong leadership," Riggs said. "We're not in a position where we are required to merge. But we certainly recognize that merging with a larger union like the United Steelworkers definitely brings us a lot of synergies… We know that we'll never get starved out again by the employer." And while the TWU will be holding elections in February, Riggs does not anticipate any major changes in leadership. "We'll be continuing on the way we are," he said. "The leadership that got us here and through this merger is a sound one." According to John Hyde, partner at Levitt & Grosman LLP in To- ronto, the first real test for the lead- ership of the newly merged unions will be the TWU's upcoming bar- gaining in 2015. The biggest difference between the two unions, Hyde said, is their approach to bargaining. With ex- tensive resources and a significant- ly larger membership, the USW is much better-known for its interac- tions with employers. "There's certainly some con- cerns with regards to different manners of bargaining with em- ployers and different approaches to bargaining," Hyde said. "I know there has been some concern raised with regard to the reputational im- pact of certain campaigns against employers, particularly undertak- en by the Steelworkers." At an immediate, local level, however, Hyde does not anticipate significant change. "At a local level, I don't see many changes at all," Hyde said. "I do not see a very significant im- pact upon the employer, particu- larly of the large telecoms, as a re- sult of this merger. I think that's a good thing." The biggest impact, according to Hyde, might in fact be on the TWU. "Effectively, this could very much be a case of Jonah and the whale. We've got about 225,000 members with the Steelworkers and about 10,500 or so with the TWU. So we'll have to see what happens. Certainly it's going to take more than three days to see wheth- er Jonah survives." Incoming membership from the TWU overlaps with many areas currently supported by the USW. According to Ken Neumann, national director of the Steelworkers, the telecommunications workers' presence will strengthen the union's voice in those communities.

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