IBEW 1574

HISTORY OF I.B.E.W. LOCAL UNION 1574

Prior to I.B.E.W. Local Union 1574 coming on the scene, employees of what eventually became NorthwesTel, were represented by three different unions. Outside Plant employees were represented by the Canadian Brotherhood of Railway Airline and Steamship Clerks (BRAC), Works and Building and Transport and Stores employees were represented by the Canadian Brotherhood of Railway Transport and General Workers (CBRT) and the Inside Technicians, Operators and Clerks were in the Commercial Telegraphers Union, Division 43 of the United Telegraph Workers of America.

The inside group became restless and dissatisfied with the representation it was receiving from its international union. The UTW at the time had lost most of its Canadian membership and was in deep financial trouble. The International gave its blessing for Division 43 to leave provided it joined with a Canadian railway union (for reasons, which are lost in the mists of time). The CBRT was chosen but it soon became obvious that the grass was not as green as it at first appeared. The CBRT would not allow the same degree of autonomy to its new “Canadian Telecommunications Division” as it was accustomed to with the old International Union and within two years the group, which had left the UTW, was looking elsewhere.

Various Canadian union were checked out and ruled out as it seemed that all of them were “top down” organizations. There seems to be a tendency for Canadian based unions, particularly ones which represent employees of single employers, to pattern themselves after the employer. Government unions are a prime example of that. They tend to govern rather than represent.

The inside group decided to go independent and formed the Canadian Association of Communications and Allied Workers. Unfortunately it fell into the same trap as the Unions which it had studied. Control was centralized at the National level with the districts having little say over negotiations or finances. Dues money went directly to the national office and not enough came back to properly run the districts.

The issue came to a head at the first CACAW convention, which was held in the fall of 1980. There were 4 delegates from the Northwest District, which represented what are now employees of NorthwesTel. We simply wanted the right to negotiate our own Collective Agreement without interference from the national office and to be given sufficient funds to properly represent our vast geographical area. This request fell on deaf ears.

Negotiations would continue to be under National office control and the financial formula would not give us enough money to properly represent our area.

There had been informal contact between the I.B.E.W. and NorthwesTel employees for a number of years. Shortly after the CACAW convention a meeting was held in Yellowknife. The District Chairman and Secretary/Treasurer who had been at the convention explained the outcome to the members. Much lively discussion ensured and members asked if there was an alternative. The I.B.E.W. structure was explained and a motion to join was immediately made and received a unanimous vote in favour.

The I.B.E.W. was contacted and informed of developments. An organizing drive was hastily put together and within 2 weeks over 70% of NorthwesTel employees had signed application cards. There was not time to put together a local union just then so I.B.E.W. Local Union 344 applied to the Canada Labour Relations Board to be the certified bargaining agent. On May 6, 1981, the Board ordered that the NorthwesTel inside group be to be represented by I.B.E.W. Local 344.

Meanwhile the other NorthwesTel groups were closely watching what the inside employees were doing and a few months later by agreement with the CBRT the Buildings and Transport group was transferred to the I.B.E.W. Outside Plant employees were the next to join. It took them a little longer because of the legal technicalities in withdrawing from BRAC, but they were determined and a few months later they were I.B.E.W. members as well.

While this activity was going on we were busy setting up a Local Union of our own and approving Bylaws. In the fall of 1981 the I.B.E.W. applied to the Labour Relations Board to transfer jurisdiction from Local 344 to the brand new I.B.E.W. Local Union 1574. We have never looked back.

After 8 months of painstaking negotiation we succeeded in replacing three railroad agreements with one telephone workers agreement, and our first I.B.E.W. NorthwesTel Collective Agreement was signed in July of 1982.

Since then I.B.E.W. Local Union 1574 has received certification to represent members of Arcrite Northern Ltd., Northern Television Systems Ltd., Learning Disabilities Association, NorthwesTel Cable, and NMI Mobility Inc.

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