April 25, 2006

Construction local rejects arbitrator’s decision approving takeover bid

TORONTO

Canada’s largest construction local has rejected the position of an arbitrator to sanction a takeover bid by the Washington-based LIUNA (Labourers International Union of North America).

“The arbitrator’s position to sanction a takeover of Local 183, North America’s largest construction local, is unjust and an outrage,” said Local 183 Business Manager Tony Dionisio. “We have built a great democratic local union and we will not stand by while it is dismantled by LIUNA’s internal proceedings.

“With the solidarity of our engaged membership, we will make it very clear across this province and before the courts and the Labour Board that Local 183 has been served an injustice that cannot be defended.”

“... we will not stand by while it (the local) is dismantled ...”

Tony Dionisio - Local 183

According to a media release by the union local, LIUNA set a course since 2002 “to dismantle and control Local 183 — to remove its democratically elected leaders and seize control of its financial assets. These efforts have culminated in the ruling of Brian Keller, who was appointed by LIUNA to preside over charges brought by LIUNA against Local 183.”

“With this ruling by Keller, our Local 183 will now ask the Ontario Labour Relations Board to set down dates for the hearings on the charges we have filed regarding the interference of LIUNA in the autonomy of Local 183, including the Keller proceedings, and the systematic pattern of allegedly unlawful conduct that is set out in the material before the Board,” said Local 183 counsel Brian Shell, who represented Local 183 before Keller and who is counsel to Local 183 before the Board.

Dionisio stated that in June 2004, the entire Local 183 Executive was re-elected to office.

“This was a resounding confirmation by the membership of our leadership team, even with the cloud of the attacks by LIUNA looming over our heads,” said Dionisio. “It is clear that our success in building Greater Toronto has no parallel in North America.

“We are now 34,000 strong and Toronto’s economy is one of the hottest in the Western World. That’s why LIUNA wants to take us over, pure and simple.

“We will not allow them to do that and we expect that the Ontario Labour Relations Board will hear our case and that we will be vindicated. In the meantime, it is business as usual until the Canadian judicial system tells us something different.”

Local 183 is widely recognized as being a strong participant in the Greater Toronto Area construction boom of the past decade.

DCN NEWS SERVICES

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