Certification of Unifor as Bargaining Agent
📌 In brief
The Canada Industrial Relations Board certified Unifor as the bargaining agent for a specific group of workers, excluding managers and administrative staff, after reviewing the application and conducting a vote among the employees.
⚖️ Legal holding
A union may be certified as the bargaining agent for a defined group of employees under the Canada Labour Code.
📖 Technical summary
The Board certified Unifor as the bargaining agent for a specific employee unit.
📜 Headnote Official document
The Canada Industrial Relations Board certified Unifor as the bargaining agent for a unit of employees, excluding certain managerial and administrative positions, after a representation vote and investigation into the application.
📚 Full judgment Official document
Order No.: 12148-U IN THE MATTER OF THE Canada Labour Code - and - Unifor, applicant, - and - [COMPANY]., Montréal, Quebec, employer. WHEREAS the Canada Industrial Relations Board ( the Board) has received an application for certification pursuant to section 24(1) of the Canada Labour Code (the Code ) from Unifor (the applicant) seeking certification as bargaining agent for a unit of employees of [COMPANY]. (the employer) comprising: All employees of [COMPANY]. working at [NAME], and [NAME], excluding managers, anchors, clerical and administrative staff, and those covered by an existing certification. AND WHEREAS the parties agreed on the following proposed bargaining unit description: All employees of [COMPANY]. working at [NAME] and [NAME], excluding managers, senior producers, supervising producers, managing producers, supervising assignment editor, managing editor, anchors, clerical and administrative staff, and those covered by an existing certification. AND WHEREAS the parties disputed the eligibility of certain individuals to be included in the bargaining unit; AND WHEREAS , by order no. 1735-NB dated October 31, 2025, the Board ordered that a representation vote be conducted among the employees in the following bargaining unit: All employees of [COMPANY]. working at [NAME] and [NAME], excluding managers, senior producers, supervising producers, managing producers, supervising assignment editors, managing editors, anchors, clerical and administrative staff, and those covered by an existing certification. AND WHEREAS , by order no. 1735-NB, the Board directed that the ballots cast by [NAME] and [NAME] and by [NAME] and [NAME] be segregated from the other ballots and that they be counted or destroyed in accordance with the Board’s final order once it determined the eligibility of each of these five employees; AND WHEREAS the parties came to an agreement on several of the individuals in dispute; AND WHEREAS the applicant withdrew its objections on the individuals remaining in dispute; AND WHEREAS , following investigation of the application, consideration of the submissions of the parties concerned and the taking of a representation vote, the Board has found the applicant to be a [NAME] within the meaning of the Code , has determined the unit described hereunder to be appropriate for collective bargaining and is satisfied that a majority of the employees of the employer in the unit wish to have the applicant [NAME] represent them as their bargaining agent. NOW, THEREFORE , it is ordered by the Canada Industrial Relations Board that Unifor be, and it is hereby certified to be, the bargaining agent for a unit comprising: all employees of [COMPANY]. working at [NAME] and [NAME], excluding managers, senior producers, supervising producers, managing producers, supervising assignment editors, managing editors, anchors, clerical and administrative staff and those covered by an existing certification. ISSUED at Ottawa, this 19th day of January, 2026, by the Canada Industrial Relations Board. [NAME]-Chairperson Reference: File No. 038880-C
⚖️ What tends to weigh in cases like this
✅ Tends to be accepted
- The parties agreed on the proposed bargaining unit description.
- The applicant withdrew objections on the remaining disputed individuals.
- The representation vote showed a majority of employees wished for Unifor to represent them.
❌ Tends to be rejected
- The eligibility of certain individuals to be included in the bargaining unit was disputed.
- Five specific employees' ballots were segregated and their eligibility was investigated further.
Patterns observed in similar cases in this collection — every case is unique.
❓ Frequently asked questions
What did this decision decide?
The decision certified Unifor as the bargaining agent for a specific group of employees.
What was the dispute about?
The dispute was over whether Unifor should be certified as the bargaining agent for a defined group of employees.
How did the court decide, and why?
The court decided to certify Unifor as the bargaining agent after determining that the defined group of employees wished to have Unifor represent them.
Which laws or rules were applied?
The Canada Labour Code was applied.
What was the argument that mattered most?
The argument that mattered most was that a majority of the employees wished to have Unifor represent them.
Was the decision for or against the person who brought the case?
The decision was for the person who brought the case.
What does this mean for someone in a similar situation?
For someone in a similar situation, it means that if a majority of employees wish to have a union represent them, the union can be certified as the bargaining agent.
What evidence or documents mattered?
The evidence and documents that mattered included the application for certification, the submissions of the parties, and the results of the representation vote.