March 23, 2007

Labour

New union an unknown commodity

IAN HARVEY

correspondent

TORONTO

With April 30 looming and negotiations with construction trades heading for the fine details, there’s no immediate storm on the horizon despite the recent attainment of status by the newly minted Canadian Construction Workers Union.

Labour groups and employers polled by Daily Commercial News say they foresee no immediate disruption as a result of the Ontario Labour Relations Board ruling that the CCWU meets the basic requirements as a construction trade union.

RESCON’s Richard Lyall said while his sector is a prime focus for the CCWU, it’s entirely a labour matter and would be inappropriate to speculate.

“The big thing for us is peace and stability,” he said.

“That’s all we really want, many of us. This is all like the weather, you can’t control it, but you just have to deal with it.”

There is some puzzlement over some of the wording in the decision which seems to leave a door, if not a window, open for further argument.

“It’s a little troubling in the sense that we applied as a friend of the court to give advice on the construction industry unsuccessfully,” said Pat Dillon of the Provincial Building and Construction Trades Council of Ontario.

“But the decision of the labour board seems to leave it open to challenge on an application to the OLRB for either an displacement or certification.”

If that’s the case, Dillon ponders, is the CCWU certified or not? Conversely, since a plethora of unions and employer associations representing the width and depth of the industry also applied for status but were turned away, who could argue their case against CCWU wasn’t heard?

"The decision of the labour board seems to leave it open to challenge."

Pat Dillon

PBCTCO

“Why force workers or the industry to waste money for a hearing at the OLRB?” asked Dillon.

Still, he said, there’s no shakedown in the industry as the Open Season turns into its last leg.

“We tell everyone that if you diligently represent your membership, unions that do that shouldn’t have any problems,” he said. “At the end of the day, if your guys are happy, working, having a job, making money and raising their families, they really don’t care much for the political BS.”

United Brotherhood of Carpenters and Joiners regional council business manager Bill Nicholls said while the union tried to intervene in the certification of status because they felt the target company PBS was already covered by their contract, they don’t fear any poaching by CCWU.

“The lines are quite clear,” said Nicholls, who adds he hasn’t met with breakaway CCWU president Tony Dionisio.

“I think they’re going to stay within their mandate at residential construction.”

Still, he said, it’s unsettling to see another union entity added to the landscape which is already crowded, saying there is a long standing concern about fragmentation among the labour movement in the GTA.

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