Monday May 28, 2018
For Immediate release
Cambridge, ON – “When the employer continues to throw up road blocks, organizing can become a long frustrating process but you have to persist and never give up,” explains IAM Grand Lodge Organizer Scott Jackson. “IAM District 78 Business Representative Kim Vallier and I applied for certification in May of 2017 for a group of workers at Cambridge Shelter Corporation and the employer wanted additional employees included in the group while wanting others out which meant that the true wishes of the workers couldn’t be determined without resolving those issues first. This resulted in numerous meetings at the Labour Board where witnesses gave testimony which took a lot of time to schedule and conduct.”
At the same time, the employer was changing things at the workplace which resulted in the IAM filing multiple ‘unfair labour practices complaints’ against the employer. “It took a while but after several weeks all of the unfair labour practice complaints have been resolved and the issue of whether individual workers should be in or out of the union, have been decided,” explained Jackson.
The result was 42 new members for the IAM. These new members work with people that have housing and/or addiction issues in the community. “This perhaps explains why these workers were fearless in wanting fairness in their workplace,” explained Jackson. “We look forward to negotiating a first agreement to protect and support them, just as they help and assist their clients.”
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For further information:
Scott Jackson – IAM Grand Lodge Organizer
416-225-9003/416-579-0854
Bill Trbovich – IAM Director of Communications
416-386-1789 Ext #31/416-735-9765
