Shane Woodford | Email news tips to shane.woodford@corusent.com
6/13/2012
The union representing ICBC workers says it will serve strike notice in a matter of weeks.
COPE 378 vice president Jeff Gillies says a Labour Relations Board interim ruling has cleared the way for 72-hour strike notice starting July 1.
Gillies says drivers won't be affected.
"We want to take a wise and cautious approach to job action. As we have said to ICBC repeatedly, our interest is to take some escalating job action to put some pressure on them to come back to the table and negotiate."
Gillies says they could stand down if the corporation returns to the table to talk monetary issues.
The workers have been without a contract for two years.
ICBC is also calling the interim labour ruling a win.
Spokesperson Mark Jan Vrem says the board ruled the union can't threaten essential services with a strike.
"We are gratified to note that the Labour Relations Board agreed without application, and they have indeed deemed those essential services, so if the union does take any sort of job action, customers will still continue to be well served."
Jan Vrem says the union has to tell ICBC what job action they will take and serve notice well in advance.
He says the company hopes negotiations will conclude before the board issues a final ruling.
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