A case which may have significant implications for employers in the unionized construction industry will now proceed to be heard by the Labour Relations Board. The case involves a 2002 application by two employers, Farmer Construction Ltd and PCL Constructors Canada Inc., to consolidate their bargaining units represented by certain building trades unions and to cancel the certifications held by some of their unions. The matter has been mired in controversy due to allegations by the unions that the chair of the panel originally assigned to adjudicate the application was biased. In a recent decision the Board declined to adjudicate the bias issue as the original panel had decided to stand aside. The application will proceed before a new panel in December, 2003.
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