Union accuses Coral Harbour Housing Authority of ‘illegal’ lockout
PSAC North files complaint with Canada Industrial Relations Board; housing authority denies claim, says it will oppose complaint
The Public Service Alliance of Canada North says the Coral Harbour Housing Authority has illegally locked out its casual employees following the breakdown of talks aimed at reaching a new contract for 14 employees. The union says it is taking the housing authority to the Canadian Industrial Relations Board with a formal complaint. (File photo)
The Public Service Alliance of Canada North is accusing the Coral Harbour Housing Authority of committing an illegal lockout of its casual employees, after union members voted in favour of strike action last month.
After three days of meetings with a conciliator in September that PSAC North and the Nunavut Employees Union held with with the housing authority, the parties were unable to reach an agreement for a new contract.
Union members voted in favour of strike action on Sept. 13.
Their previous collective agreement with the housing authority expired March 31, 2021. Negotiations for a new deal started in November 2022, according to the union.
Following the strike vote, the housing authority “immediately took steps to lay off all casual employees represented by PSAC and NEU,” NEU president Jason Rochon said in a statement to Nunatsiaq News.
A lockout is initiated when an employer refuses to admit employees onto the work premises. Layoffs are a termination of employment carried out by the employer.
At the Coral Harbour Housing Authority, 14 employees are represented by the union: eight permanent and six casual, including maintenance and tradespeople as well as a tenant relations officer.
The six casual employees, close to half of the bargaining unit, have been laid off, Rochon said.
On Monday, PSAC North said it filed a complaint with the Canada Industrial Relations Board against the Coral Harbour Housing Authority.
By laying off the employees, the housing authority violated “statutory freeze provisions” by using “unfair labour practices that are interfering with the administration of a trade union, laying off employees for participating in a trade union and blocking the right of participating in a strike and exercising rights to strike,” Rochon said.
He said by laying off 40 per cent of the bargaining unit members within a few days of conciliation failing, the housing authority “left no doubt” that its actions were directly connected to the union’s strike vote and the bargaining process.
The housing authority denied the allegations, in a statement to Nunatsiaq News on Monday.
“We are refusing or denying the allegations made by PSAC and will be opposing their complaint before the Canada Industrial Relations Board,” a spokesperson said.
The housing authority spokesperson did not comment on specific details of negotiations.
Rochon said the union is seeking the same economic increases and lump sum payments its members obtained during a strike this summer at the Iqaluit Housing Authority, which lasted more than 19 weeks before it was settled Aug. 1.
The union is also seeking improvements in working conditions and wages for casual workers. It is also asking the employer to drop its request for concessions that would affect casual employees’ accrual of vacation and special leave, Rochon said.
Here we go again.
Hey, Mr. Minister, how long are you going to wait this time?
The previous agreement expired March 31, 2021. Negotiations for a new deal started in November 2022…
Why the huge delay to negotiate a new deal? Insane…
its very simple, everything in nunavut is retarded. things take decades when things should be days or weeks, just the same as our postal services, everything in nunavut is a total screw up, not to mention the justice system.
💯 on point I hate Nunavut and I’m inuk 😂
The definition of the word Retard is; To slow or impede progress. Synonyms include decelerate, brake, reduce, decrease, Goverment, and Nunavut.
Minister of Housing needs to dissolve the board appoint a new board and get it done just like in Iqaluit.
Wonder how many collective agreements are expired? NEU and PSAC are neglecting their unionized employees!
All Local Housing Authorities in Nunavut should all be negotiated as one agreement. Every job being performed should have the same wages, same benefits, with exception of cost of living allowance or Northern Allowance.
Finance Office in Cambridge Bay gets the same pay and benefits as a Finance Office in Pangnirtung with the same qualifications and experience.
Tenant Relation officer in Sanikiluaq gets the same pay and benefits as a Tenant Relations Officer in Arctic Bay
Manager in Repulse Bay gets the same pay and benefits as a Manager in Cambridge Bay.
Enough of having 23 different agreements, wages and benefits are all over the chart.
Same goes out to the Municipalities…….
Heavy Equipment Operators in Community A should get the same pay and benefits as Operator in Community B they obviously do the exact same job for their community yet the pay and benefits are not the same,
Yah – hard no, the wages need to be increased in some communities to retain and attract skilled labor or equipment operators. So one agreement doesn’t work same with housing ….
Check on their website. Currently the NEU are responsible for 44 unions, 35 of which have expired contracts, with another 2 expiring soon.
That is 80% of all their contracts expired according to their website, if I was a due paying individual, I think I would request new representation. But like everything else up here people are use to incompetence, almost to the point that they expect it.