Hamilton technologists join OPSEU; Tentative deal at Toronto Terminals Railway
Teamsters files for union vote at Amazon
NISKU, Alta. — Teamsters, Local 362 filed for a vote on union representation at the Amazon fulfillment centre in Nisku, Alta., on Sept. 13.
This represents the first step in the Teamsters union organizing campaign to bring Amazon to the bargaining table, says the union.
“Amazon won’t change without a union. Be it on job security, pace of work, discrimination, favouritism or wages, the company has proven itself to be profoundly anti-worker. Amazon workers need to know they are not alone and they have the power, through the Teamsters, to change things for the better,” says François Laporte, national president of Teamsters Canada.
The Alberta Labour Relations Board (ALRB) must first verify the application. Once they do, all Amazon employees in Nisku who were employed as of Sept. 13 will have a chance to vote on being represented by Teamsters, Local 362, says the union.
Hamilton technologists join OPSEU
HAMILTON — The biomedical technologists at St. Joseph’s Healthcare Hamilton voted overwhelmingly in favour of joining the Ontario Public Service Employees Union (OPSEU) on Sept. 13.
“Congratulations and welcome, we’re always incredibly proud when a new group of heroic front-line medical professionals decides to join our great union,” says Warren (Smokey) Thomas, OPSEU president.
The new members join more than 800 other OPSEU members at St. Joseph’s Healthcare Hamilton, and more than 25,000 other health professionals working in 84 hospitals across the province, says the union.
Tentative deal at Toronto Terminals Railway
TORONTO — Unifor, Local 4003 reached a tentative agreement with Toronto Terminals Railway (TTR) on Sept. 9 following weeks of negotiations that began on July 28.
“We want to thank the members for their support during bargaining and we are looking forward to presenting the details to members at upcoming ratification meetings,” says Jeff Ongena, Unifor, Local 4003 TTR chairperson
If ratified, the agreement will give members a wage increase of 12.5 per cent throughout the life of the contract, which expires in 2025, says the union.
The employees provide track maintenance, flagging and signal services on the Union Station rail corridor in Toronto, which is used by VIA Rail, GO Transit and the Union Pearson (UP) Express. TTR is a jointly owned subsidiary of both CN and CP Rail.
Swoop, CUPE reach tentative contract
CALGARY — The Canadian Union of Public Employees (CUPE) and Swoop reached a tentative first collective agreement for flight attendants at the low-cost carrier on Sept. 8.
CUPE, 4070 represents about 200 flight attendants at Swoop. If ratified, the agreement will cover all remaining CUPE members represented at the WestJet Group of Companies, says the union.
CUPE has represented flight attendants at Swoop since June 2019. The parties have been engaged in collective bargaining towards a first union contract since February 2020, says CUPE.
CUPE 4070 represents all flight attendants across all three brands operated by the WestJet Group of Companies: WestJet mainline, WestJet Encore and Swoop.
