Transwest Workers Vote

Brother Bill Kolba, CEP Alberta Organizer, along with Brothers Keith Barrington and Vic Sergalis, is pleased to announce that a vote took place at Transwest Mining Systems in Ft.McMurray on Friday October 20^th and Monday Oct 23^rd. The workers there had met the requirements of a petition to the Alberta Labour Relations Board asking for a secret ballot vote requesting Union Representation by Communications, Energy and Paperworkers Union local 707. The Board Investigators had ruled that the petition was in order and that 86 workers at Transwest Mining would be eligible to vote.

The company had attempted to delay the vote but the board ruled that it would go ahead and that any contest would be dealt with after the vote.

A contest by the Company on the boards ruling to eliminate eight lead hands from the bargaining unit is delaying the count of the ballots. A judgment by the board should be made soon at a hearing called for this purpose. The ballots are being kept sealed until such ruling.

At special meetings called during the process of the vote, workers showed interest in our union and Brother Kolba feels confident that the results will be positive.

We are certainly pleased that the workers at Transwest picked CEP as their union of Choice. Their contacts with our brothers in Mobile Equipment Maintenance at Suncor helped them make that choice.

We are anxiously waiting for the results of the vote and anticipate a warm welcome session for our Brothers and Sisters at Transwest Mining Systems.

Keep coming to this site for updates on the vote.

Roland LeFort

Secretary/treasurer cep local 707