KELOWNA—CUPE 338 welcomed 90 new members from the Association of Local Government Employees Union (ALGEU) in a voluntary transfer of bargaining rights approved by the Labour Board yesterday.
“We are pleased to welcome these workers into CUPE 338,” says CUPE 338 president Brent Soroka. “They will be an excellent fit and will complement our union.”
The ALGEU has been a union for close to 30 years. Members are regional government employees providing municipal services in Kelowna and area. As well as providing services like bylaw enforcement, they look after regional parks and manage the wastewater treatment plant in West Kelowna.
“We’re excited to be a part of CUPE, the largest municipal sector union, and we look forward to continued good relations with our employer,” says Wendy Brown who served as president of ALGEU.
“By joining with CUPE we’ll have more opportunity for education. We can draw on resources so that members feel comfortable being involved in their union.”
A voluntary transfer of bargaining rights is when the jurisdiction of one union is voluntarily transferred to another union. This process is governed by the B.C. Labour Code. Members of ALGEU voted on January 26 to seek a voluntary transfer and the Labour Board granted the transfer in a ruling yesterday, March 9.
