CF Industries workers turn down unionization with 60 per cent against

Workers at CF Industries fertilizer plant have voted against joining a union, the News has learned.

Unifor, Local No. 4050, had applied to represent 106 operations workers at the facility in northwest Medicine Hat in February.

Union officials said Wednesday that turnout to certify the union as bargaining agent was nearly 100 per cent during a two-day electronic voting process from March 16 and 17.

About 60 per cent did not support joining the union, leading the Alberta Labour Relation’s Board to dismiss the application on Monday.

“We are grateful that a large majority of employees preferred to maintain a direct working relationship with us,” read a statement from the CF headquarters in Illinois. “We take pride in fostering and maintaining strong relationships with our employees and will not take for granted the trust and opportunity the employees afforded us.”

Union officials told the news they were disappointed in the result.

“We’ll respect the wishes of the workers and we encourage them to reach out should they need to in the future,” Unifor’s national organizing director Justin Gniposky told the News.

The CF site remains subject to the National President’s Maintenance Agreement, a multi-union, multi-employer pact covering major construction and turnarounds.

The vote follows a successful unionization drive at CanCarb Ltd.’s carbon black plant in Medicine Hat, by Unifor 4050, covering 47 non-administrative staff at the facility. That was approved with a majority vote and accepted by the ALRB. The two sides will now prepare to negotiate a collective agreement.