Sask. bingo hall 'overtly' tried to undermine newly-formed union: Labour Board
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A Saskatoon bingo hall “completely and overtly disregarded” its obligations when negotiating with a recently-formed union, the provincial labour board has found.
A Saskatoon bingo hall “completely and overtly disregarded” its obligations when negotiating with a recently-formed union, the provincial labour board has found.
According to a Dec. 14 decision from the Saskatchewan Labour Relations Board, employees at City Centre Bingo unionized with SEIU-West in December 2019 over concerns the company “was showing favoritism to certain employees.”
Over the next several years, amid a pandemic shutdown and staffing churn, labour board vice-chair Barbara Mysko says the company refused to provide representatives from SEIU with detailed information about job duties and classifications, and even employee contact information.
“The employer’s conduct had the effect of frustrating bargaining,” said Mysko.
“Given the state of bargaining and the limited contact, it is not surprising that the employees were concluding that ‘nothing was happening.’”
Managers at City Centre Bingo repeatedly delayed bargaining and hurt the union’s credibility by implementing pay increases during an active contract negotiation.
“By unilaterally increasing wages, the employer undermined the union and communicated to the employees that they would be better off without it.”
