Rail company accused of unionbusting

Back in April, I wrote an article regarding an effort by the United Steelworkers to unionize 35 workers employed in the Edmonton area by the Manitoba-based Cando Rail & Terminals.

USW has been trying to organize all the Cando workers employed at the Imperial Oil Strathcona Refinery site, excluding office or clerical workers.

The workers had been previously represented Local 92 of the Laborers’ International Union of North America and include loaders, switching crews, and track maintenance crews. Their most recent collective agreement expired earlier this month, on the 12th.

Since that article, USW has filed an application with the Alberta Labour Relations Board, accusing Cando of unionbusting. Specifically, they claim that Cando had fired one of their workers, Alex Emblem, for his support of unionization.

The union filed the application with the ALRB on 7 April 2024, claiming that Cando “terminated Mr. Emblem in whole or in-part because of his support of the union” and that “the intended effect of” his termination was to warn “other employees of what the employer will do to vocal supporters”.

In their application, which was made public earlier this week in the ALRB’s latest new applications report, the union allege that the actions of Cando Rail amount to employer interference and “illegal employer intimidation”.

The ALRB awarded these workers a union certificate earlier today.

Because the ALRB doesn’t publicly archive their new application reports, I’ve included a copy below for your convenience.