An arbitrator has sided with International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers (IBEW) Local 213 employees after learning they wouldn’t be receiving a cost-of-living wage increase from the Regional District of Bulkley-Nechako. (RDBN)
The two reached their first collective agreement in October 2023 and learned they wouldn’t get the increase in January 2024.
“We didn’t think that was what was agreed to in collective bargaining, so we decided to grieve it and ultimately we ended up in arbitration,” said IBEW Local 213 Assistant Business Manager Robin Nedila.
With the win, employees will be back paid equal to what they lost for not receiving the wage.
“We see this all the time in the non-union industries where they do like to pick their favourites and the other people go without,” said IBEW Local 213 International Lead Organizer Dustin Brecht.
He added the employees who chose to unionize did so because of safety concerns which they felt weren’t being heard.
“What I heard from the employees during the unionization process was they weren’t interested in punishing the [RDBN], they just wanted to have a say in the workplace,” said Nedila.
My Bulkley Lakes Now reached out to the regional district who refused to comment on the matter.
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