Strike Continues at Ledcor Technical Services Against Precarious Work
- Brian Sproule -
IBEW Local 213 retirees picket Ledcor offices in
Vancouver, January 17, 2020.
Telecommunications workers, members of the
International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers
(IBEW) Local 213, are continuing their strike
against Ledcor Technical Services (LTS) in Port
Coquitlam.
The workers walked off the job on September 30,
2019 following the mass layoff of 31 workers
without cause or notice. They joined Local 213
in 2017 hoping to improve their working
conditions, including an end to piece work and
contracting out of their jobs as well as
recognition of their seniority rights.
During the two years since the IBEW was
certified as the bargaining agent, LTS has
refused to sign a first contract or agree to any
of the workers' just demands. The regular work
force has continued to decline from 238 at the
time of certification to barely half that number
today.
On January 14, a team from the Workers' Centre
of CPC(M-L) joined striking workers and Local
213 Retired Members' Committee in picketing
Ledcor Group's head office in downtown
Vancouver. An article from the December 19, 2019
issue of Workers' Forum on the strike
was distributed to the other picketers.
The Workers' Centre was told that Telus, one of the
other large corporations in the telecommunications industry, is
co-operating with Ledcor in hopes of breaking the strike, de-unionizing
the industry, and ensuring that all installation work is done by
contractors designated as self-employed and thus not subject to labour
standards legislation regarding wages, overtime, breaks, health and
safety, compensation for on the job injuries, etc.
Besides picketing LTS and Ledcor head office
the workers are sending out flying squads of
picketers armed with signs and bull horns when
they learn of LTS contractors installing fibre
optics.
Despite financial pressures and their small
numbers the workers are determined to fight
until they win an acceptable first contract.
Abour Ledcor
Ledcor's website states "Ledcor is a
diversified construction company, working to
design, build, transport, operate and maintain
projects all over North America."
Leduc Construction was founded in 1947 by
William (Bill) Lede. It began by building roads
for the oil industry near Leduc, Alberta.
Bill Lede died in a construction site accident
in 1980. His sons Dave and Herb took over
operating the company. Dave Lede is chairman and
CEO.
In 1982 the company was renamed Ledcor. Wikipedia
says that Ledcor is "employee owned."
Headquarters are in Vancouver and San Diego,
California with some 30 offices and about 7,000
employees across North America. The company net
worth is about $1 billion.
There are 10 divisions:
- building
- oil and gas including pipeline construction
- forestry
- mining
- communications (Ledcor Technical Services)
- transportation including aviation and marine
subsidiaries
- power
- properties (real estate and development)
- infrastructure
- environmental
This article was published in
Number 2 - January 22, 2020
Article Link:
Strike Continues at Ledcor Technical Services Against Precarious Work - Brian Sproule
Website: www.cpcml.ca
Email: editor@cpcml.ca
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