The Labour Relations Board certified Local 402 of the BC Transportation and Warehousing Association as the bargaining agent for the 120 drivers and warehouse personnel employed by Clark Reefer Lines.
Local 402 is a new local affiliated with the Christian Labour Association of Canada (CLAC).
Before joining CLAC, the employees at Clark Reefer had, since 1988, been represented by an employee association.
The CLAC鈥檚 Metro Vancouver office is based in 黑马磁力.
鈥淎 number of months ago, the executive of the employee association at Clark Reefer came to us at CLAC and asked about affiliation with the union,鈥� Tony vanHengel, CLAC BC transportation coordinator, explained.
鈥淎fter a few meetings, both parties determined this was a great fit, and we set in motion the events that saw the employee association affiliate with CLAC.鈥�
Membership meetings were held in late July and mail-in ballots were sent to employees located outside the Lower Mainland.
The vote showed overwhelming support to affiliate with Local 402.
These members join hundreds of other CLAC members in the transportation sector.
鈥淚t鈥檚 a good time to be a trucker,鈥� said vanHengel.
鈥淎t a recent trucking exposition I attended, every major carrier that participated had a 鈥榃e鈥檙e Hiring鈥� sign hung out.
鈥淭he growth in this industry is explosive and is likely to be sustained.鈥�
Clark Reefer Lines operates a fleet of trucks and a warehouse facility in Coquitlam.
The company has satellite operations in Vernon, Prince George and smaller centres throughout the province.
CLAC is an independent Canadian labour union representing more than 50,000 workers in a wide range of sectors, including construction, healthcare, retail, service, transportation and manufacturing.
Based on principles that promote the values of respect, dignity, fairness, and integrity, CLAC鈥檚 approach to labour relations stresses membership advocacy, co-operation, and the long term interests of the workplace community.
