The federal labour relations board will decide the future of a union’s role if the merger proceeds between a non-unionized grain company and a partially unionized one.
The Grain Services Union represents 900 of Agricore’s 2,100 full time and 500 seasonal and casual employees. None of the United Grain Growers 1,500 full time and 400 seasonal and casual employees are unionized.
In Manitoba, Agricore’s grain elevator, agro and maintenance employees are unionized. In Saskatchewan, Agricore staff is not unionized. In Alberta, the country elevator staff is unionized but the agro staff is not.
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“You may find the majority of employees will decide they will choose to keep their union dues in their pockets,” Agricore chief executive officer Gord Cummings told a group of Agricore members at a merger information meeting last week.
GSU general secretary Hugh Wagner said that in Manitoba and Alberta, the GSU will apply for successor rights with the new Agricore United company under the Canada Labour Code.
The union already represents Agricore workers through a collective agreement and will continue to represent the workers, Wagner said.
The decision to allow the GSU to remain will be up to the federal Canada Labour Relations Board.
Wagner said the union has already sent letters to UGG employees welcoming them to join. Over the next few weeks, GSU staff will visit employees.
“This is a merger driven by the corporation,” said Wagner. “The only organization with the employees’ interests in mind is the GSU.”
The GSU had tried to organize UGG workers in the past, but failed.
