YRC Reimer workers in Ontario join Teamsters

Workers hadn't received raises in years: Union

In Niagara-on-the-Lake, Ont., a team of border ambassadors at YRC Reimer successfully organized their workplace and on June 18 joined Teamsters, Local 879.

“Organizing is never easy. I would like to congratulate this group on standing up for fairness and dignity in the workplace,” said François Laporte, Teamsters Canada president.

Border ambassadors help truck drivers quickly and easily clear customs by managing paperwork and dealing with border services. They hadn’t gotten a raise in years, and some complained about being yelled at by managers, said the union.

“The border ambassadors at Niagara-on-the-Lake were being paid much less than the Teamster members who do the same work for the same company at a different site,” said Jim Killey, organizer at Teamsters, Local 879. “The company was taking advantage of them because they lacked union representation.”

The organizing campaign took off when workers were shown the collective agreement the local had negotiated for YRC Reimer’s border ambassadors at Point Edward. The unionized workers had higher wages, yearly raises, and better overall working conditions, according to Teamsters.

Local, Union 879 now plans on beginning negotiations with company sometime over the coming weeks. The focus will be on improving wages and working conditions for its newest members, said the union.

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