Union Gives Strike Notice to Finning in B.C., Yukon

June 22, 2011
Finning International announced Monday that the International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers, Local 692, has given its Canadian division notice of its intent to begin strike action

Finning International announced Monday that the International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers, Local 692, has given its Canadian division notice of its intent to begin strike action in British Columbia, beginning as early as June 20 at 2 p.m.

Finning said it is committed to the collective bargaining process and to concluding a fair and balanced contract that is equitable for its employees and for Finning. Finning has established a contingency plan to minimize the impact of a strike on its customers. Equipment and parts sales will continue to be available to customers, the company said, although shop and field services could be affected by labor action.

Local 692 of the IAMAW represents about 700 hourly-paid Finning parts and service employees in British Columbia and Yukon. Finning’s Canadian operations in Alberta and the Northwest Territories operate under a separate collective agreement and are unaffected by this action. The current two-year collective agreement for B.C. and Yukon employees expired in April.

Based in Vancouver, B.C., Finning is the world’s largest Caterpillar dealerships, operating in western Canada, Chile, Argentina, Bolivia, Uruguay, Ireland and the U.K.

One of North America’s leading rental players, Finning is No. 9 on the RER 100.