New Local 401 members and Pebble Beach Lodge workers celebrate their recent organizing victory. From left to right: Matt Clarke, Jason Mord, Judy Pascal, and Bill Scott.

UFCW Canada’s growth momentum has expanded to the Alberta oil sands where 45 food services workers just became Local 401’s newest bargaining unit.

The new Local 401 members work at Pebble Beach Lodge, a full service facility that provides food and accommodations to the men and women who work and live in the oil sands area just north of Fort McMurray.

The Pebble Beach Lodge members are employed by Crown Camp Services, which is operated by PTI Group Inc., a subsidiary of industry giant Oil States International Inc.

“There is a clear disparity between unionized and non-unionized workers in the camps,” says Local 401 President Douglas O’Halloran. “In some cases, non-union workers are being paid half as much as their unionized counterparts for doing exactly the same job. The Pebble Beach Lodge workers unanimously decided to organize because they weren’t going to stand for that kind of mistreatment, and as Local 401 members they won’t have to.”

The success of the Pebble Beach Lodge campaign is the latest victory in the union’s long-standing commitment to helping oil sands workers create a higher standard of fairness in one of Canada’s most profitable industries. In fact, the Pebble Beach Lodge employees join 1,000 other oils sands workers who are also Local 401 members.

In addition to coordinating its growth efforts with the National Office, Local 401 has also launched a new internet campaign featuring a new website www.877gounion.ca that is fully integrated with a strong social networking presence.

Vol. XI No. 17 • April 26, 2011