Carpenters nail City at Labour Relations Board

The cost of a concrete sewer overflow tank being built by the City at Bellevue Park just went up as much as $200,000, after the Ontario Labour Relations Board ruled against the City and in favour of the United Brotherhood of Carpenters and the Labourers' International Union.

The City had obtained a legal opinion in March that the project fell under the sewer and watermain construction sector and therefore was outside its collective agreements with the labourers' and construction unions.

The unions felt otherwise, and agreed with the City to ask the labour board for an expedited decision.

Labour board decision

In a decision released yesterday, the labour board ruled that the storage tank falls under the industrial, commercial and institutional sector and is therefore governed by the collective agreement.

The successful bidder, North America Construction (1993) Ltd. of Morriston, Ontario, has a relationship with Construction Workers Local 52, an affiliate of the Christian Labour Association of Canada.

North America agreed, however, to work with the United Brotherhood of Carpenters and the Labourers' International Union in the event of an unfavourable labour board decision.

"It is estimated that compliance with this [will] result in higher contract labour prices that may range up to an estimated $200,000 in additional costs," said John Luszka, the City's commissioner of human resources.

For an earlier SooToday.com article containing background information, click here.

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