The Pembroke Civic Hospital applied to the Ontario Labour Relations Board under section 69 of the Labour Relations Act, 1995, following a directive to close and transfer its operations to the Pembroke General Hospital.
The parties disputed the appropriate bargaining unit structure and the identity of the resulting bargaining agents for the intermingled employees.
The Board determined that the broader-based bargaining unit structure already in place at the surviving hospital (the General) was appropriate, noting its 25-year history of success and the general labour relations trend toward broader units.
The Board ordered a representation vote to allow employees to choose their bargaining agent from among all the affected trade unions.
