Business
Terasen Gas prepares for possible labour disruption; applies for essential services designation
Terasen Gas prepares for possible labour disruption; applies for essential services designation.
About this update from Fortis Inc.
[{"type":"text","content":"\n\n\n\nCompany remains willing to meet with union\n\n\nSURREY, BC, Sept. 14 /CNW/ - In preparation for possible job action by\nthe Canadian Office and Professional Employees Union (COPE), Local 378,\nTerasen Gas (TSX:FTS) has filed an Essential Services Application with the\nLabour Relations Board.\n\n\nCOPE served Terasen Gas with 72-hour strike notice on September 14, 2007.\nUnion members participated in a strike vote on September 13, 2007 and the\nunion informed the company today that a strike mandate has passed. COPE 378\nrepresents 465 Terasen Gas employees working primarily in office and\nprofessional positions.\n\n\nTerasen Gas is committed to resolve this dispute through the collective\nbargaining process and hopes to resume negotiations with the COPE as quickly\nas possible. However, in the event of a work stoppage by COPE, Terasen plans\nto respond to any natural gas emergencies using management and essential\nservice personnel.\n\n\nEssential services are those that the Labour Relations Board of B.C.\nconsiders necessary or essential to prevent immediate and serious danger to\nthe health, safety or welfare of the residents of British Columbia.\n\n\nThe company remains focused on ensuring the continued safety of its\noperations and the reliability of supply to Terasen Gas customers. Until the\nessential services designation is awarded, no strike action can legally occur.\n\n\nTerasen Gas has been in ongoing negotiations with COPE 378 since\nFebruary 2007 in an effort to reach a new collective agreement. Terasen Gas'\nmost recent offer included a wage increase of 14.8 per cent compounded over\nfive years and an increase in benefits of 5.3 per cent. COPE 378 would be the\nthird group at Terasen Gas to move toward flexible benefits. Terasen Gas has\nnot experienced a labour disruption in 18 years.\n\n\nTerasen Gas is mainly composed of the operations of Terasen Gas Inc. and\nTerasen Gas (Vancouver Island) Inc., both indirect wholly owned subsidiaries\nof Fortis Inc. Fortis Inc., the largest investor-owned distribution utility in\nCanada, serves almost two million gas and electric customers and has\napproximately $10 billion of assets. Its regulated holdings include Terasen\nGas and electric utilities in five Canadian provinces and three Caribbean\ncountries. Fortis Inc. owns non-regulated hydroelectric generation assets\...