1506-01-R Teamsters Local Union No. 879, Applicant v. Ready Machinery & Equipment (Canada) Inc., Responding Party.
BEFORE: Brian McLean, Vice-Chair, and Board Members J. A. Rundle and R. R. Montague.
DECISION OF THE BOARD; August 29, 2001
1This is an application for certification.
2By decision dated August 29, 2001 the Board directed that a representation vote be held on August 31, 2001. That date was selected in accordance with the Board's usual practice that a vote be held within five business days of the application date and in accordance with the request made by the applicant.
3Now the applicant requests that the Board hold the representation vote on Tuesday, September 4, 2001. Its request is based on the alleged fact that some employees will be out of town on August 31, 2001. The employer asserts that the vote should remain as originally set. It asserts that the employees who are to be away on August 31, 2001 will likely, due to steps taken by the employer, be available to participate in the vote.
4The applicant has control over the timing of the process. If it did not want a vote on August 31, 2001 it ought not to have applied on the day it did and it ought not to have requested that it be held on that date. The fact that it now realizes that all employees may not be present on August 31, 2001 does not change the situation. In nearly every representation vote ordered and held by the Board there will be employees absent from the workplace, but it is the Board's practice to hold the vote within 5 days in virtually every case. We do not think it is appropriate under the circumstances of this case to vary the Board's usual practice.
5Accordingly, the Board does not find it appropriate to change the date of the representation vote which is to be held in this case.
"Brian McLean"
for the Board