B.C.s Labour Relations Board has given the North Shore Winter Club a stern warning after determining the club used illegal replacement workers twice during its month-long lockout of union employees.
Jitesh Mistry, vice-chair of the board, found the club used an outside contractor to mow the lawn and use a weedeater on the grounds, just a week after the lockout started. Mistry said that a locked-out union worker would normally have done work.
Mistry also found the club hired a replacement worker to drive the Zamboni to maintain the ice rink during the same time period.
The labour board decision follows an application by the union representing locked out employees to declare the work illegal.
During the hearing, the winter club argued that some of its grounds-keeping had always been done by outside contractors, without any objections from the union.
It also argued that the Zamboni driver had been hired as a regular employee before the start of collective bargaining.
But Mistry wasnt convinced.
He ordered the winter club to stop using the replacement workers. But he added the actions werent serious enough to warrant fines.
The winter club has 13 full-time and six part-time unionized employees, who are represented by the Canadian Union of Public Employees.
Their last contract expired a year ago.
The club and union representatives began bargaining at the beginning of this year, including meeting with a mediator.
On May 3, the club locked out its employees, after they rejected a final contract offer by a margin of 11-2.
At issue in the labour dispute is the scheduling of shifts and a change in the employees' benefits, according to the union.
Union members have been picketing in front of the club since the lockout began. The club has remained open with work normally done by union members being done by management staff.
