United Brotherhood of Carpenters and Joiners of America, Local 397 v. Spancrest Enterprises Inc. o/a Spancrest Construction
Before: David A. McKee, Vice‑Chair, and Board Members J. G. Knight and G. McMenemy.
Decision of the Board; September 6, 2001
Decision
1This is an application for certification filed under the construction industry provisions of the Labour Relations Act, 1995 (the "Act").
2The Registrar has certified that the applicant had been found to be a trade union in an earlier proceeding under 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 sections 1(1) and 126 of the Act and is an affiliated bargaining agent of a designated employee bargaining agency. Pursuant to the designation issued by the Minister under section 153(1) of the Act on June 23, 1997, the designated employee bargaining agency is the United Brotherhood of Carpenters and Joiners of America and the Carpenters’ District Council of Ontario, United Brotherhood of Carpenters and Joiners of America.
3The responding party filed its response with the Board within the time stipulated by Rule 135 of the Board's Rules of Procedure.
4The responding party asserts it employs 4 carpenters on a site in Concord (Board Area 8). The application lists one project in Trenton (Board Area 12). Accordingly, employees of both locations will be entitled to vote. This also means that the proper bargaining unit for the non-ICI sectors might be Board Area 8 rather than Board Area 12. The responding party has given a timely notice under section 8.1. Accordingly, the ballots box(s) will be sealed.
5It 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.
6The Board finds that this is an application for certification within the meaning of section 128 of the Act and is an application made pursuant to section 158(1) of the Act which provides that:
An application for certification as bargaining agent which relates to the industrial, commercial and institutional sector of the construction industry referred to in the definition of "sector" in section 126 shall be brought by either,
(a) an employee bargaining agency; or
(b) one or more affiliated bargaining agents of the employee bargaining agency,
on behalf of all affiliated bargaining agents of the employee bargaining agency and the unit of employees shall include all employees who would be bound by a provincial agreement together with all other employees in at least one appropriate geographic area unless bargaining rights for such geographic area have already been acquired under subsection (2) or by voluntary recognition.
7The Board further finds, pursuant to section 158(1) of the Act, that all carpenters and carpenters’ apprentices in the employ of the responding party in the industrial, commercial and institutional sector of the construction industry in the Province of Ontario and all carpenters and carpenters’ apprentices in the employ of the responding party in all other sectors of the construction industry in Prince Edward County, the geographic Townships of Lake, Tudor and Grimsthorpe and all lands south thereof in the County of Hastings, and the geographic Townships of Percy and Cramahe and all lands east thereof in the County of Northumberland,
save and except non-working foremen and persons above the rank of non‑working foreman, may constitute a unit of employees of the responding party appropriate for collective bargaining.
8Having regard to the Board's finding as to the appropriate bargaining unit, the Board directs that a representation vote be taken of the individuals in the following voting constituency:
all carpenters and carpenters’ apprentices in the employ of Spancrest Enterprises Inc. o/a Spancrest Construction in the industrial, commercial and institutional sector of the construction industry in the Province of Ontario and all carpenters and carpenters’ apprentices in the employ of Spancrest Enterprises Inc. o/a Spancrest Construction in all other sectors of the construction industry in Prince Edward County, the geographic Townships of Lake, Tudor and Grimsthorpe and all lands south thereof in the County of Hastings, and the geographic Townships of Percy and Cramahe and all lands east thereof in the County of Northumberland, save and except non-working foremen and persons above the rank of non‑working foreman.
9The vote will be held on September 10, 2001. Vote arrangements are set out on the attached "Notice of Vote and of Meeting".
10The responding party is directed to post copies of the application for certification, the “Notice to Employees of Application for Certification”, this decision and the "Notice of Vote and of Meeting" in a location or locations where they are most likely to come to the attention of those individuals who are eligible to vote.
11All individuals who were employed by Spancrest Enterprises Inc. o/a Spancrest Construction and at work in the voting constituency on August 31, 2001 are eligible to vote.
12Voters will be asked to indicate whether or not they wish to be represented by the applicant in their employment relations with the responding party.
13Any party or person who wishes to make representations to the Board about any issue relating to the application for certification which remains in dispute, other than status disputes, must file a detailed statement of representations and all material facts upon which they rely with the Board and deliver it to the other parties, so that it is received 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. 9: Status Disputes in Certification Applications in the Construction Industry.
14This matter is referred to the Registrar.
“David A. McKee”
for the Board