The Lakeside Packers case demonstrates that the province of Alberta requires the Labour Code to be amended to allow for First Contract Arbitration in the Collective Bargaining Process.
Thesis: The Lakeside Packers case demonstrates that the province of Alberta requires the Labour Code to be amended to allow for First Contract Arbitration in the Collective Bargaining Process.
Introduction After watching the video entitled “24 days in Brooks”, it is apparent that if a First Contract Arbitration had been in place; this emotionally charged situation may have been avoided. This paper is to examine the merits of having a First Contract Arbitration to be put in place within the Alberta Labour Code. Also, I will discuss the background of the Lakeside Packers dispute, my perspective on what employee, employer and state believe are their stances on First Contract Arbitration and how they would be affected. Also, some questions to consider are:
• What was the balance of bargaining power between the parties, and how did it shift as the story unfolded?
• How did the racial and cultural divisions in the workforce complicate the case?
• What role did the state play? What was the effect of the third party intervention?
Background on Lakeside Packers Dispute Initially, Lakeside Packers was unionized during the years of 1976 to 1984; however, the union was broken by management during a strike by hiring non-union, lower paid replacements. Arrogantly, this company was proud of this accomplishment as to go so far as to have a sign at the entrance to the plant, announcing they were “Proudly Union Free”. With wages spiralling downward, and the disassembly line of workers, they were able to keep the wages down which made fewer Albertans who wanted this type of job.
So to resolve this problem, the company decided to outsource labour from other countries which led to an influx of immigrant workers being hired at Lakeside Packers. This endeavour was changing the demographics of the workforce at both the plant and the town. Employees began to protest about bad working conditions such as not being allowed to have bathroom breaks, being fired when they
Introduction After watching the video entitled “24 days in Brooks”, it is apparent that if a First Contract Arbitration had been in place; this emotionally charged situation may have been avoided. This paper is to examine the merits of having a First Contract Arbitration to be put in place within the Alberta Labour Code. Also, I will discuss the background of the Lakeside Packers dispute, my perspective on what employee, employer and state believe are their stances on First Contract Arbitration and how they would be affected. Also, some questions to consider are:
• What was the balance of bargaining power between the parties, and how did it shift as the story unfolded?
• How did the racial and cultural divisions in the workforce complicate the case?
• What role did the state play? What was the effect of the third party intervention?
Background on Lakeside Packers Dispute Initially, Lakeside Packers was unionized during the years of 1976 to 1984; however, the union was broken by management during a strike by hiring non-union, lower paid replacements. Arrogantly, this company was proud of this accomplishment as to go so far as to have a sign at the entrance to the plant, announcing they were “Proudly Union Free”. With wages spiralling downward, and the disassembly line of workers, they were able to keep the wages down which made fewer Albertans who wanted this type of job.
So to resolve this problem, the company decided to outsource labour from other countries which led to an influx of immigrant workers being hired at Lakeside Packers. This endeavour was changing the demographics of the workforce at both the plant and the town. Employees began to protest about bad working conditions such as not being allowed to have bathroom breaks, being fired when they
Cited: 1. 24 Days in Brooks. Dir. Dana Inkster. National Film Board of Canada, 2007. Documentary Film. 2. Broadway, Michael; Cut to the Bone; How changes in meatpacking have created the most vulnerable worker in Alberta; Published in Vol 15, No 4, May 2012, pgs 36-41. Retrieved from www.albertaviews.ab.ca/2012/04/26/cut-to-the-bone/ 3. Conflict and Solidarity: How the Lakeside Workers Won Their Union Foster, J. 2005, Conflict and solidarity: How the Lakeside workers won their union. Our Times, 24, 28-35. Retrieved from http://0-search.proquet.com.aupac.lib.athabascau.ca/docview/213124125?accountid=8408