Last summer, I wrote an article about workers employed by Dot Transportation Canada, Inc. who were trying to unionize their workplace.
These 14 or so workers still are not unionized, and one of the reasons is because the employer is unionbusting.
Or at least that is what the union is arguing.
In an application submitted to the Alberta Labour Relations Board on 9 September, Local 401 of the United Food and Commercial Workers accused the employer of terminating the employment of one of their workers because of their involvement in the union drive.
According to last week’s new applications report published by the Alberta Labour Relations Board, Local 401 allege that not only was Dot Transportation “suspending and terminating the Employee who was involved with the Union’s certification campaign” but that they did so specifically to send “a message to other employees that if they support the Union they will be subject to adverse treatment, including termination”.
They also allege that the suspension and termination “were motivated by the Employee indicating in writing their selection of a trade union to be the bargaining agent on their behalf”.
Local 401, in their application to the ALRB, argued that Dot Transportation’s actions violate several sections of Alberta’s Labour Relations Code.
No employer or employers’ organization and no person acting on behalf of an employer or employers’ organization shall participate in or interfere with the representation of employees by a trade union,
Labour Relations Code, 148.1.a.ii
No employer or employers’ organization and no person acting on behalf of an employer or employers’ organization shall refuse to employ or to continue to employ any person or discriminate against any person in regard to employment or any term or condition of employment because the person is a member of a trade union or an applicant for membership in a trade union, has indicated in writing the person’s selection of a trade union to be the bargaining agent on the person’s behalf, or has exercised any right under this Act;
Labour Relations Code, 149.1.a.i, 149.1.a.ii, and 149.1.a.viii
No employer or employers’ organization and no person acting on behalf of an employer or employers’ organization shall seek by intimidation, dismissal, threat of dismissal or any other kind of threat, by the imposition of a pecuniary or other penalty or by any other means, to compel an employee to refrain from becoming or to cease to be a member, officer or representative of a trade union
Labour Relations Code, 149.1.c
Because the Alberta Labour Relations Board does not archive their new applications reports, I have included a copy of last week’s report below.
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