Last week, the Alberta Labour Relations Board released their first new applications report for February 2024. In it was an application for union certification.
Local 4050 of Unifor filed the application on 30 January 2024 on behalf of workers employed at Cancarb Limited.
Based in Medicine Hat, Cancarb develops, manufactures, and distributes medium thermal carbon black. The product is created by separating methane gas (colloquially known as natural gas) into hydrogen and carbon. The hydrogen is used to power the reactors used to separate the methane gas and to produce steam that runs an electrical generator. Workers then process the carbon into the carbon black product that the company sells.
If the ALRB approves the certification application, about 50 workers—not including office, clerical, sales, security, or and health and safety personnel—will get a chance to vote on whether to join the union.
The ALRB has set a hearing for later today, during which time, the employer will have a chance to argue, if they choose, as to why the workers shouldn’t be able to join the union.
If the certification vote is successful, and the workers do end up choosing to join the union, the next step following certification would be to start the bargaining process to negotiate their first contract.
Because the ALRB doesn’t archive their new application reports, I’ve included a copy of this report below.
