The union representing workers at Nanaimo Golf Club is claiming victory following a year-long labour dispute with the employer.
Nanaimo Golf Club, which locked out 24 workers of United Here Local 40 for 11 months starting in April 2015, has been ordered in binding arbitration, through a mechanism called final offer selection, to pay wage increases, lump sum compensation to workers and to abide by the union constitution that allows unionized workers to make reprisals against union members who cross picket lines.
Shelly Ervin, Unite Here Local 40 negotiator, said both sides presented their cases in the binding arbitration hearing April 14-15.
“Basically [with final offer selection], you’re done bargaining,” Ervin said. “It’s not like the arbitrator’s going to say, ‘Keep a little piece of this, give a little bit of that.’ It’s either this side or this side.
“We finally won.”
Nanaimo Golf Club was ordered to pay a 13-cent per hour wage increase to its unionized employees, a two-per cent wage increase in the second year of the contract, which will actually start in May, plus a two-per cent wage increase in 2017. Workers that were locked out will also each receive a $1,000 lump-sum payment.
The dispute reached an impasse in December after an offer from the employer, which included a clause that there be no reprisals against two workers who crossed picket lines, was rejected by the union. The arbitrator refused to award the non-reprisal clause to the golf club.
“You can’t squash someone’s constitutional rights,” Ervin said. “They locked these workers out for 11 months based on a no-reprisal issue.”
Ervin said it will be up the members to decide what sanctions, if any, might be taken against the two workers who crossed the pickets.
Calls to the Nanaimo Golf Club for comment were not immediately returned.
