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Labour Reporter
Canadian
www.labour-reporter.com
October 31, 2016
B.C. worker's clean record
deserves leniency: Arbitrator
60-day suspension for
insubordination, swearing
reduced to 20 days
BY JEFFREY R. SMITH
A 60-DAY suspension for insubordinate and threat-
ening behaviour for a British Columbia worker with
a previously clean record was too harsh, an arbitrator
has ruled.
Montreal-based aluminum mining and produc-
tion company Rio Tinto Alcan hired Geoffrey Watt to
be an equipment operator at its Kitimat, B.C., works
in 2005. Watt became a union safety representative in
2008 and was chief area representative for the reduc-
tion department a year later. In 2013, he became co-
chair of the plant's safety committee.
On Oct. 28, 2013, Watt was part of a crew doing
ARBITRATION
AWARDS
Airlines workers' 'no-evidence' motion rejected by arbitrator pg. 8
Corporation of the County of Lanark — Ontario pg. 3 Elk Island Catholic
Separate Regional Division No. 41 — Alberta pg. 4 Garda Security
Screening — Saskatchewan pg. 4 Health Employers Association of British
Columbia — British Columbia pg. 5 Kennametal — British Columbia pg. 5
COLLECTIVE
AGREEMENTS
Photo:
Andresr
(Shutterstock)
pg. 2
Midland deal reached
Ontario town's outside
workers ratify last-minute
deal, despite 'no-
board' report
ARBITRATION
AWARDS
COLLECTIVE
AGREEMENTS
see Safety > pg. 7
MANUFACTURING
Aqua-Pak Styro Containers
Surrey, B.C.
(20 production and maintenance workers) and
United Steelworkers (USW) Local 2009
Renewal agreement: Effective
Jan. 15, 2016, to Jan. 14, 2019.
Signed on March 15, 2016.
Wage adjustments:
Effective Jan. 15, 2016: 2%
Effective Jan. 15, 2017: 2%
Effective Jan. 15, 2018: 2%
Shift premium: Afternoon
Strategies for Workplace Conflic ts, Dec. 6-8, 2016: Toronto
Learn Practical and Effective Conflict Resolution Skills for Managing
Ever yday Workplace Disputes
irc.queensu.ca
NEW PROGRAM!
see Collective agreements > pg. 3 see Arbitration > pg 6
Edmonton worker fired after
testing positive for marijuana
AFTER FALLING into a trench
on top of another worker, Jamie
Petraschuk was ordered by his
employer to test for the presence
of marijuana in his system.
He was found to have a higher
level of the drug than was allowed
in the collective agreement. A
safety committee at Epcor Utili-
ties in Edmonton then ruled Pe-
traschuk should be given a five-
day suspension for a violation of
the drug and alcohol policy.
But after an Epcor Utilities
