Burnco locks out workers at five plants
Calgary- based Burnco Rock Products Ltd. has locked out nearly 100 of its employees at five area plants.
Bernie Haggarty, business agent for Teamsters Union Local 362, said 96 drivers are affected at two sites in Calgary along with others in Okotoks, Airdrie and Cochrane.
“We’re a long way apart,” Haggarty said Monday of contract negotiations, as drivers set up picket lines. “The big issue is seniority and respect. There are a few other outstanding issues. It’s not the money.”
Haggarty said Burnco is using some replacement workers and management to deliver paving asphalt and ready- mix concrete products to commercial and residential sites.
In an emailed statement, the company said it made “the difficult decision” to lock out Local 362 members on Monday. “The lockout occurred because negotiations have not been progressing in a constructive manner.”
It said the union held a strike vote July 30, immediately after a cooling- off period ordered by the Alberta Labour Relations Board had ended.
“This vote was held prior to meeting with Burnco to receive an amended offer in spite of requests by Burnco on July 21 and July 24 to return to the bargaining table,” the company said. “The members voted in favour of granting the union a strike mandate and Burnco subsequently made an application to obtain lockout rights.”
Burnco said the company’s amended offer was presented to the union on Aug. 4. The union later announced a vote on the offer would be held Aug. 13, “but did not provide any reasons for the significant delay.
“Burnco delivered lockout notice on Aug. 7 with the hope that the offer could be presented sooner to the affected employees for consideration,” the company e- mail stated.
Chief executive Michael Powell said Burnco has a history of negotiating fair and competitive wages, benefits and work conditions.
“The current economic environment in Calgary has become more challenging and this is a time when all parties need to be working together to find solutions. We believe that our employees should be given a timely opportunity to vote on our offer,” he said in the statement.
Haggarty said the two sides are in the process of renewing a contract agreement that expired May 30. The union applied to the Labour Relations Board for a mediator after talks reached an impasse, he said.
“I made a position through the mediator and made moves on my position. There was no counter back,” said Haggarty.
“I can apply for a strike vote and they can apply for a lockout. I applied for the strike vote. I have to, right, because we’re in this cooling off period. I can’t be locked out and not have a strike mandate. I did that as soon as I could. I had a very strong strike mandate there but I never served notice.”