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12 March, 2007
The Communications, Energy and Paperworkers (CEP) Union of Canada has chosen Petro-Canada and its 135,000-per-day refinery near Edmonton, province of Alberta, as the lead enterprise for its 2007-2008 National Energy and Chemical Bargaining Programme.
That decision was made by the CEP’s Energy and Chemical Advisory Committee on 1 March after a three-month process.
“We chose to negotiate the pattern in Edmonton because we believe that the oil and gas sector and the labour market conditions in Alberta create the best conditions to deliver the kind of settlement that our members are expecting,” stated National Energy Bargaining Coordinator Joe Gargiso.
CEP's Joe Gargiso
The CEP’s National Energy and Chemical Bargaining Committee will conduct the national pattern bargaining negotiations, while CEP Local 501A of Sherwood Park, Alberta, conducts local negotiations at the refinery.
“There is no doubt that this industry can well afford a significant wage increase as well as other improvements,” said CEP President Dave Coles. “I want to acknowledge the role Local 501A is prepared to play in stepping out in front to set the pattern.”
CEP President Dave Coles
Once the CEP comes to terms with Petro-Canada at its refinery near Edmonton, the union will hold a bargaining conference with all energy local unions to ratify the proposed agreement for pattern issues. The CEP’s process to choose a lead company started in December when it entered into consultations with all major employers in the oil, gas, and petrochemical industries.
The union further met with Petro-Canada in February. This meeting was followed by a special meeting of all CEP Petro-Canada local unions in Toronto on 24 February.