Question
Coastal Forest Products operates a plant that produces plywood. The International Woodworkers Association, Local 423 (IWA), represented Coastal's production workers. In the course of an
Coastal Forest Products operates a plant that produces plywood. The International Woodworkers Association, Local 423 (IWA), represented Coastal's production workers. In the course of an expansion, the company called for tenders for concrete. The contract was awarded to M&K Ready Mix (M&K) a non-union company. The Union claimed that there was an understanding that Coastal would use union suppliers. The collective agreement between Coastal and the IWA contained the following provision:Section 3: No Strike Pending Grievance And Arbitration ProcedureThe Union agrees that it will not cause, promote, sanction or authorize any strike, sit down, slow-down, sympathetic strike or other interference with work by the employees for any cause whatsoever until all provisions of this agreement relating to the grievance and arbitration procedure have been complied with. ...Murray Irving was the local union president at Coastal. When Irving saw an M&K truck arrive to make a delivery, he left his tools at his workplace and went to the lunchroom. Irving told a supervisor that he was engaging in a personal protest. An hour later Irving was told that a group of 40 employees had stopped working and were gathered in a patio area. Irving went up to the gathering and saw that one of the employees there was a union steward. Irving told the employees that what they were doing was wrong and they should go back to work. He then returned to the lunchroom.When Wayne Best, a union vice-president, was told about the M&K truck on the property, he advised his supervisor that he would not continue working and joined the other employees in the patio area. Approximately a half-hour after Best arrived, he spoke to the employees and told them that by law he was required to tell them to go back to work. After making this statement, he remained in the patio area. About two hours after the disruption had stared, a district officer for the union, Fern MacGregor, came to the workplace and told employees that they should return to work.When the M&K truck left Coastal property, approximately three hours after it had arrived, all employees returned to their workplaces.1. Is the union's claim regarding the use of union suppliers a valid one? How could it be proved?2. How does Section 3 of the collective agreement "help" or "hinder" the union in this situation?3. What action might the employer take in response to the situation? Be specific.4. What outcome do you expect in this case? Explain
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