We are happy to announce that Friday afternoon, the Labour
Relations Board (LRB) ruled against CUPE’s challenge of approximately 70 APSA
positions they believe belong in their bargaining unit.
Evidence revealed CUPE did not take steps, over the years,
to include these positions in their unit or take into consideration
the wishes of APSA employees.
CUPE argued employees’ wishes should not be a determining
factor in the case, but the LRB disagreed and questioned whether APSA employees
supported being included in the CUPE union.
As the positions have been outside CUPE’s unit for years,
the LRB noted,“it is fundamentally inconsistent…to
sweep into a bargaining unit previously unrepresented employees without
reference to their wishes.”
Overall, the LRB ruled that CUPE abandoned its rights to the
vast majority of APSA positions being challenged.
The verdict is a win for APSA and the University as CUPE, if
they choose to proceed, would only be entitled to challenge a handful of
APSA positions.
Read the complete Labour Relations Board decision.
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