Squamish McDonald's Workers update. Thu July 30 1998VANCOUVER B.C. -A ruling by the Labour Relations Board Wednesday has paved the way for the next step in unionizing the Squamish McDonalds outlet. The L.R.B. ruled the a certification vote must be held, but that the ballot boxes be sealed until the board had a hearing dealing with employer concerns and an unfair labour practice charge laid by the C.A.W.
Theses hearings will begin August 16 and last 5 days.
A vote by staff will take place next Thursday. pending the L.R.B. hearings, the Canadian Auto Workers: union will then begin negotiations on a contract.
"Union Made" - a labour show aired on Vancouver's Co-op Radio interviewed staff member Tessa Loewenger, who was instrumental in getting the process started.
Loewenger said she was " pretty confident" that the outlet wouln't close, as it is highly profitable, was the only one between Vancouver and Whistler, and that B.C. labour law prevented the closure of a buisiness just because a union was seeking certification.
Roger Crowther, a representitive of the C.A.W. told "union made" that he had serious concerns about the hiring of twenty new staff members on July 20, the day after they had begun the sign up process. He said the hiring of so many staff had never been done before, and that there were now so many staff they were falling over each other
Management also tpld staff soon after the sign-up began that if staff brought in their friends, they would receive $20. Crowther said anyone hired through this recruitment would be questioned as to their eligibility to participate in the certification vote.
Crowther say the union will be asking for a pay raise for the McDonald's staff, but more importantly, they will demand security on scheduling. Schedules decide who gets called in, and therefore decides the amount the worker gets paid. Currently, schedules can be altered at the whim of the management.
"We want respect" Loewenger said, refering to the many instances where managers and the franchise owner humiliated by shouting at staff and calling them stupid in front of customers. They were also expected to find their own replacements if they called in sick.
Despite the abuse. she said some workers had been there since the outlet opened 10 years ago..........................
Coutesy of James, you can thank my P. R. man for this one..
