2847-00-R Northern Ontario Joint Council of the Retail, Wholesale and Department Store Union District Council of the United Food and Commercial Workers International Union, Applicant v. Smooth Rock Falls Co-Operative, Responding Party.
BEFORE: Bram Herlich, Vice-Chair, and Board Members J. A. Ronson and D. A. Patterson.
DECISION OF THE BOARD; December 29, 2000
1This is an application for certification.
2The Board finds that the applicant is a trade union within the meaning of section 1(1) of the Labour Relations Act, 1995 (the "Act").
3The responding party, although duly served with the application material on December 22, 2000, according to the certificate of delivery filed by the applicant, failed to file its response with the Board within the time stipulated by Rule 69 of the Board's Rules of Procedure. The Board did, however, receive a one-line communication from the employer asking that the application be "extended" to January 15, 2001. We are not persuaded that there is sufficient basis to depart from the normal expeditious processing of certification applications in this case.
4It appears to the Board on an examination of only the information provided in the application and the information and membership evidence filed by the applicant (see section 8(3) of the Act), that not less than forty per cent of the individuals in the bargaining unit proposed in the application for certification were members of the union at the time the application was made.
5The Board directs that a representation vote be taken of the individuals in the following voting constituency:
all employees of Smooth Rock Falls Co-Operative located in the Township of Smooth Rock Falls, save and except the General Manager and persons above the rank of General Manager.
6The vote will be held on January 3, 2001. Other vote arrangements will be as determined by the Registrar and set out on the attached "Notice of Vote and of Hearing".
7All individuals who had an employment relationship with the responding party in the voting constituency on December 22, 2000, the certification application filing date, are eligible to vote. Employees having an employment relationship on December 22, 2000, the certification application filing date, include employees who were not at work on that date, so long as there is a reasonable expectation of their return to employment.
8Voters will be asked to indicate whether or not they wish to be represented by the applicant in their employment relations with the responding party.
9The responding party is directed to post copies of this decision and of the "Notice of Vote and of Hearing" adjacent to each of the posted copies of the "Notice to Employees of Application for Certification". These copies must remain posted for 30 days.
10Any party or person who wishes to make representations to the Board about any issue remaining in dispute which relates to the application for certification, other than status disputes, including any matters relating to the representation vote, must file a detailed statement of representations with the Board and deliver it to the other parties, so that it is received by the Board within five days (excluding Saturdays, Sundays and holidays on which the Board is closed) of the date on which the vote is taken. Representations with respect to any status dispute must be made in accordance with the directions provided in Information Bulletin No. 4: Status Disputes in Certification Applications (Non-Construction).
11The matter is referred to the Registrar.
"Bram Herlich"
for the Board