March 17, 2008

CMAW local wins right to join poly party at Vancouver Shipyards

CMAW Local 506 Marine & Shipbuilders has won a battle at the Labour Relations Board to replace Carpenters Local 506 as part of the poly party council at Vancouver shipyards.

Their application was supported by the Marine Workers Union and COPE Local 15, but opposed by Local 213 of the Electrical Workers and Local 170 of the Plumbers, who argued it was a raid in disguise and would bring instability to the poly party agreement.

In his decision, Labour relations Board Vice-Chair Philip Topalian said there was no evidence it was a raid. He also rejected arguments of industrial de-stabilization, noting that "the fact that CMAW is disliked by the other members of the (poly party council at Vancouver Shipyards) is not a reason why its application should be denied."

Topalian quoted from a labour board decision last year which seated CMAW on the Columbia Hydro Constructors despite opposition from other Building Trades. In that decision the board said that members of a poly-party union are not required to like each other or to agree with one another's view on all topics.

He noted that though the plumbers and the electrical workers opposed the application, two other members -- the Marine Workers and COPE 15 --supported it, and the fifth member, the Machinists, as well as the employer, did not oppose the application.

"This is a big win for us," noted CMAW President Jan Noster. The full decision can be read at the BC Labour Relations Board's web site at http://www.lrb.bc.ca/decisions/B019$2008.pdf