Last week, the Alberta Labour Relations Board published their final new applications report for August 2o26. It covers all the applications they received between the 16th and the 23rd.
One of the applications they received during this period was regarding unionbusting by a construction company.
Back in March, Local 2404 of the Pile Drivers, Divers, Bridge, Dock & Wharf Builders Union filed certification applications for workers employed by Marathon Underground Constructors Corporation.
Based out of Ontario, Marathon offers several services in underground construction, including design, engineering, management, geotechnical investigation, utility mapping, environmental assessment, risk management, and training.
The following month, Local 2404 accused Marathon of interfering with their unionization drive by telling workers to support a different union, which violates Alberta’s Labour Relations Code.
No employer or employers’ organization and no person acting on behalf of an employer or employers’ organization shall contribute financial or other support to a trade union.
Labour Relations Code, 148.1.b
Marathon had also been distributing anti-union propaganda to the workers filled with misleading claims and half-truths, some of which I debunked in an article I wrote back in April.
According to this week’s new application report, Marathon does not seem to have any intention of stopping their unionbusting. If anything, they have escalated their tactics.
The summary the labour board provided in this week’s report indicates that Marathon has terminated two workers who had indicated support for Local 2404 in their unionization drive. As well, Local 2404 has claimed that the employer “has sought to compel” workers from “becoming or remaining members of the union”.
All of these actions, if true, violate several sections of the Labour Relations Code.
No employer or employers’ organization and no person acting on behalf of an employer or employers’ organization shall participate in or interfere with the representation of employees by a trade union
Labour Relations Code, 148.1.a.ii
No employer or employers’ organization and no person acting on behalf of an employer or employers’ organization shall refuse to employ or to continue to employ any person or discriminate against any person in regard to employment or any term or condition of employment because the person is a member of a trade union or an applicant for membership in a trade union, or has exercised any right under this Act
Labour Relations Code, 149.1.a.i & 149.1.a.viii
No employer or employers’ organization and no person acting on behalf of an employer or employers’ organization shall seek by intimidation, dismissal, threat of dismissal or any other kind of threat, by the imposition of a pecuniary or other penalty or by any other means, to compel an employee to refrain from becoming or to cease to be a member, officer or representative of a trade union
Labour Relations Code, 149.1.c
The ALRB held a hearing on this matter this past Tuesday (25th), during which time, representatives from the employer had a chance to present arguments, if they had any, as to why they are not actually unionbusting.
Listed in the new applications report as an employer contact was Rick Maidment, manager of Marathon’s western region.
Also listed were Steven Dollansky and Tessa Green, both of whom are lawyers with McLennan Ross, an Edmonton-based law firm. Bios for both lawyers highlight their expertise in helping employers in labour and employment law.
Because the ALRB does not archive their new application reports, I have included a copy of this week’s report below, for your convenience.
