Ontario Labour Relations Board
2032-01-R Service Employees International Union Local 268, Applicant v. Victorian Order of Nurses, Homecare Division, Responding Party.
BEFORE: Patrick Kelly, Vice‑Chair, and Board Members J. A. Rundle and D. A. Patterson.
DECISION OF THE BOARD; October 26, 2001
This is an application for certification.
By letter dated October 26, 2001 the applicant advises:
October 26, 2001
SENT BY FAX
Tim Parker
Registrar
Ontario Labour Relations Board
505 University Avenue, 2nd Floor
TORONTO, Ontario
M5G 2P1
Dear Mr. Parker
RE: Service Employees Union Local 268 and Victorian Order
of Nurses; Board File No. 2032-01-R
Service Employees International Union Local 268 wishes to amend the certification for application applied for on Tuesday, October 23, 2001 in that Form A – 1 and C - 1 has a typographical error. The proper name is Service Employees International Union Local 268.
Trusting this to be satisfactory.
Sincerely,
“Deborah Menzies”
Deborah Menzies
President
Having regard to the request of the applicant, the style of cause is hereby amended to reflect the correct name of the applicant: “Service Employees International Union Local 268”.
A review of the Board’s records indicates that the Board has not previously found that the applicant is a trade union within the meaning of section 1(1) of the Labour Relations Act, 1995 (“the Act”). The applicant is therefore directed, not later than November 2, 2001 to file with the Board and deliver to the other party copies of all materials upon which it intends to rely in establishing that it is a trade union within the meaning of the Act.
It 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.
The 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 than that proposed by the applicant and it contends that the applicant's bargaining unit could not be appropriate. It gives notice under section 8.1 of the Act.
The Board finds that the bargaining unit described in the application could be appropriate. After 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. In any event, the responding party agreed that the ballots cast in the representation vote should be counted.
The Board directs that a representation vote be taken of the individuals in the following voting constituency:
all employees of the Victorian Order of Nurses (Homecare Division) Thunder Bay and District Branch in the City of Thunder Bay, save and except supervisors and persons above the rank of supervisor.
The vote will be held on October 30, 2001. Other vote arrangements will be as determined by the Registrar and set out on the attached "Notice of Vote and of Hearing".
All individuals who had an employment relationship with the responding party in the voting constituency on October 23, 2001, the certification application filing date, are eligible to vote. Employees having an employment relationship on October 23, 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.
There may be a dispute between the parties as to whether positions other than homemaker and personal support worker should be included in the bargaining unit. If any individual occupying a position other than homemaker and personal support worker wishes to cast a ballot, the individual shall identify himself or herself as occupying a disputed position and such individual shall then be entitled to cast a ballot. Any ballot cast by such an individual shall be segregated and not counted until the Board so orders or the parties agree.
Voters will be asked to indicate whether or not they wish to be represented by the applicant in their employment relations with the responding party.
The 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.
Any party or person who wishes to make representations to the Board about any issue remaining in dispute which relates to the application for certification, 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).
The matter is referred to the Registrar.
“Patrick Kelly”
for the Board