Ontario Labour Relations Board
File No.: 1638-01-R Date: September 17, 2001
Between: 1638-01-R Universal Workers Union, Labourers’ International Union of North America Local 183, Applicant v. Wiggers Custom Furniture Ltd., Responding Party.
Before: Anthony Brown, Vice-Chair, and Board Members J. A. Rundle and R. R. Montague.
Decision of the Board
1This is an application for certification.
2The Registrar has certified that the applicant had been found to be a trade union in an earlier proceeding under the Labour Relations Act, 1995 (the “Act”). Therefore, having regard to the Registrar’s certificate and section 113 of the Act, the Board finds that the applicant is a trade union within the meaning of section 1(1) of the Act.
3It 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.
4The responding party disputes the applicant’s estimate of the number of employees in the applicant’s proposed bargaining unit. Furthermore, the responding party proposes a different bargaining unit from that proposed by the applicant and it contends that the applicant’s bargaining unit could not be appropriate. It submits that the geographical description should be limited to the Township of Scugog. It gives notice under section 8.1 of the Act but has agreed that the ballots cast should be counted.
5After comparing the membership evidence provided by the applicant as against the information provided by the responding party, the Board finds that the numerical difference between the parties is not significant. The applicant has established sufficient membership support in its proposed bargaining unit for the purposes of obtaining a representation vote and having that vote counted.
6The Board directs that a representation vote be taken of the individuals in the following voting constituency:
all employees of Wiggers Custom Furniture Ltd. in the Regional Municipality of Durham, Ontario, save and except supervisors, persons above the rank of supervisor, office, sales and clerical staff and students employed in Summer.
7The vote will be held on September 19, 2001. Other vote arrangements will be as determined by the Registrar and set out on the attached "Notice of Vote and of Hearing".
8All individuals who had an employment relationship with the responding party in the voting constituency on September 12, 2001, the certification application filing date, are eligible to vote. Employees having an employment relationship on September 12, 2001, 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.
9Voters will be asked to indicate whether or not they wish to be represented by the applicant in their employment relations with the responding party.
10The 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.
11Any 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).
12The matter is referred to the Registrar.
“Anthony Brown”
for the Board