City Centre Bingo dabbed with an unfair labour practice ruling — again

(Rory MacLean / CTV News)

The Saskatchewan Labour Relations Board has determined that City Centre Bingo has committed another unfair labour practice against its fledgling workers union.

The dispute between City Centre Bingo and the union has been rattling on for years — since SEIU-West won a certification vote to represent workers at the Saskatoon-based bingo hall in 2019 — and has yet to result in an initial collective bargaining agreement.

Since then, both parties have been dragged before the labour board and the courts multiple times as managers at the bingo hall have unsuccessfully tried to see the union decertified and argued the board should decline to even hear the allegations that it’s not dealing fairly with the union representation chosen by its staff nearly seven years ago.

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In this latest round at the labour board on Jan. 21, Chair Kyle McCreary did find an unfair labour practice on City Centre’s bingo card.

The union alleged Saskatoon Twin Charities Inc. — operating as City Centre Bingo — had forestalled the bargaining process by objecting to having a former staff member on the union’s negotiating committee.

According to McCreary, under the Saskatchewan Employment Act, an employer cannot fail or refuse to engage in bargaining with workers’ union representatives, whether or not they are employees of the employer.

“In this case, the board finds the employer refused to bargain with the union by questioning Mr. Stadnyk’s participation and repeatedly objecting to it on the basis of his status as a former employee,” McCreary says in his written decision.

“Whether Mr. Stadnyk was a former employee or not, the employer cannot determine his status on the bargaining committee. The Union had selected Mr. Stadnyk to be on the bargaining committee; the employer was required to bargain with him.”

The union was not required to have active employees on the bargaining committee, McCreary said.

“The employer attempting to impose impermissible preconditions on bargaining is a refusal to bargain.”

SEIU-West had also asked McCreary to consider its allegation that City Centre Bingo was bargaining in bad faith.

In this case, McCreary said the evidence didn’t support the union’s argument. He says the company stopped objecting to having Stadnyk at the negotiating table and bargaining has continued, so there’s “no further relief required.”