Tuesday, September 10, 2024

Going to the Wall

Over the last number of months, thousands of members in BC have improved wages and working conditions—thanks to some tough negotiations

Guide Magazine

By Kevin Kohut, BC Director

The past year has seen many protracted negotiations finally conclude with major gains for members. First, I’d like to welcome BC’s newest members working with two different construction contractors. The 36 employees of ITC Vancouver Management Inc. and 35 plumbers and pipefitters with Hall Mechanical Services joined Local 68 and also recently ratified first agreements.

Other recently concluded Local 68 negotiations include those for over 200 members employed by Matcon Excavation and Shoring Ltd., 90 members employed by All Roads Construction Ltd., and over 150 members employed by Hall Constructors Corp. All of these new contracts provide much-welcome wage increases to help members cope with the recent alarming rise in the cost of living as well as enhancements to their benefits plan.

On the transportation side, over 300 Local 66 members employed by Bandstra Transportation Systems Ltd. ratified a new five-year contract providing annual wage increases and many other improvements. Bandstra has locations throughout the province, making for lengthy, complex negotiations. It is the oldest signatory transportation company represented by CLAC in BC, with a long history of the union and company working together to meet members’ needs.

In the previous issue of the Guide, I reported that the 180 faculty represented by Local 62 teaching at Trinity Western University in Langley and Richmond were in the final stages of reaching a settlement for their first agreement. I’m pleased to report that faculty voted overwhelmingly in favour of a mediated settlement after many months of negotiations. The three-year contract provides them with annual wage increases, a new dispute resolution process, enhanced representation, and secures many important employment conditions. In addition, as of January 1, 2025, members will be enrolled in both the CLAC Pension Plan and benefits plan.

Negotiations were also very lengthy for the 2,000 Local 501 members employed by CLAC’s largest signatory employer in BC, Canucks Sports & Entertainment. Members voted 60 percent against an initial settlement negotiated in the fall of 2023. The union bargaining team did an excellent job identifying members’ needs and securing them through subsequent negotiations. The new settlement was ratified in late April with 87 percent voting in favour.

Fifty Local 501 members employed by Pacific Coast Health Services (PCHS) ratified an excellent three-year agreement. COVID-19 was financially disastrous for PCHS, and the company struggled to bounce back in the last couple of years. But they wanted to compensate this group in every way they could.

The toughest negotiations involved the 320 Local 501 members employed by Dometic Marine Canada Inc. in Richmond. The arbitrated settlement took close to a year to conclude, with the two sides meeting over a dozen times. Two mediation sessions occurred at the BC Labour Relations Board. The local took a strike vote in early May and issued a 72-hour strike notice in June. The company responded by issuing a 72-hour lockout notice.

“This was the most difficult round of bargaining I have ever been involved in,” says Don Mundy, long-time representative. “We absolutely went to the wall for the membership. With high inflation over the last few years, members were looking for big wage increases. Unfortunately, the company has seen a downturn in sales and was in a tough financial situation. We’re pleased we were finally able to reach an acceptable settlement.”

Going to the Wall

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