It’s Time to Change the Law

An election is a perfect time to get a lousy law changed. 

Will you help us? 

Click this link and follow the instructions to contact the NDP and UCP candidates in your riding.

Tell Candidates Contract-Flipping Must Stop
Send a letter to your local candidates in the upcoming Provincial Election.

Civeo used a legal loophole to fire you and bring in a new company to replace you. This practice is called contact flipping.

However, in British Columbia (BC), the Government has passed legislation that stops employers from firing unionized workers. In BC, if a company like Civeo wants to change which part of their company provided operation at a workplace, they can, but the union contract and the workers stay.

This kind of law is called Successorship. It means the new owner must keep the same workers and union contract as the old owner. The new owner also must fairly negotiate with the union. Workers don’t lose their benefits or bargaining power when a business is sold or transferred.

We see this kind of law in the security sector, places like Manitoba, and Federal jurisdictions like airports where we represent ASP security guards. We negotiate from a place of strength, knowing that the YYC airport cannot fire our members and replace them with a cheaper option.

“It is time to push both the UCP and NDP to stand up for Alberta workers and stop Civeo and Imperial Oil from firing hard-working people,” said UFCW Local 401 Executive Director Chris O’Halloran. “Civeo and Imperial Oil both recorded huge profits and are still firing the workers at Wapasu to make even more money; it is shameful.”

Now it is time to ask the candidates if they will change the law that allows Civeo to fire 300 hard-working Oil-sands workers.

Visit your local candidates for MLA at their campaign office and drop off a letter. Ask to speak to them or email them the letter and encourage them to support the workers at Wapasu by committing to changing the law after the election.  

It’s time to push for change and fight to protect your job. 

There’s an additional option to push for change. Visit Brian Jean in Fort McMurray. Go to his office and demand he protects Oil Sands workers.

“We have the walking steward vehicle at the site; if you can get four members together, we will allow you to borrow the walking steward truck to travel in and visit Brian Jeans Office,” continued O’Halloran.

We are fighting with you, Civeo members, across the province. We need to push candidates throughout this province to change these laws. If you would like to visit a candidate’s office on your turnaround, please let us know, and we will help you to visit your local candidate’s offices.