THURSDAY, OCTOBER 15, 2009

BRITISH COLUMBIA & YUKON TERRITORY BUILDING & CONSTRUCTION TRADES COUNCIL #204 – 4333 Ledger Avenue, Burnaby BC V5G 3T3 Tel: 604-291-9020

NEWS RELEASE Thursday, October 15, 2009

Workers at troubled $820 million Seymour-Capilano Filtration Plant tunnel project throw out Christian Labour Association of Canada [CLAC] in favour of maximum protection provided by three BC Building Trades unions

NORTH VANCOUVER – Unionized workers at the troubled giant $820 million Seymour-Capilano Filtration Plant twin tunnel project have voted for a second time to reject representation by the Christian Labour Association of Canada (CLAC) in favour of the maximum protection of their rights provided by three BC Building Trades unions.

The results of a Labour Relations Board-supervised vote were announced Wednesday and turn the job of representing about 130 workers over to three BC Building Trades unions working together in a “poly-party” certification – the International Union of Operating Engineers Local 115, the Construction and Specialized Workers' Union Local 1611 [Labourers’ Union] and the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers Local 213.

The huge water diversion project has been slowed by serious cost over-runs and unsafe work conditions. The original contractor, German-based Bilfinger-Berger, stopped work in January 2008 and is now being sued by Metro Vancouver for the additional costs of hiring a new contractor. Earlier this year the GVRD selected an American company, Frontier-Kemper, to complete the project and tunnel boring operations resumed this summer.

Bilfinger-Berger workers had already previously voted to replace CLAC with the Building Trades poly-party but lost their union representation when Bilfinger left the project. CLAC was able to resume representation of the employees with the new employer Frontier-Kemper. Now, for a second time, workers have rejected CLAC for representation by the poly-party.

“There’s something drastically wrong with the system when workers have to vote not once but twice to be represented by the union of their choice” according to Gary Kroeker, Business Manager of the Operating Engineers Local 115. “This is a difficult and potentially dangerous project, so workers want the best protection they can get.”

“Fortunately for these workers, lightning did strike twice,” said Mark Olsen, Business Manager for the Construction and Specialized Workers' Union Local 1611. “But it is obviously time to review the BC Labour Code process that let CLAC return even after workers had clearly rejected them.”

Said Rick Dowling, Business Manager for the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers Local 213: “We believe other construction workers currently represented by the Christian Labour Association of Canada should take the same hard look at CLAC that Seymour-Capilano Filtration Plant workers did, because it is in their best interests to be represented by bona-fide Building Trades unions who will fight for their rights on the job, including health and safety.”

The three unions look forward to establishing a productive and stable relationship with Frontier-Kemper, which is certified to Building Trades unions in several American states.

For further information contact:

Gary Kroeker, Business Manager, Operating Engineers Local 115 – Tel (604) 291-8831 Mark Olsen, Business Manager, Construction and Specialized Workers Local 1611 – Tel (604) 432-9300 Rick Dowling, Business Manager, International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers 213 – Tel (604) 571-6500

BC Building Trades website: www.bcbuildingtrades.org

For further information contact 

the BCYT-BCTC office:  604-291-9020

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