BIG WIN! Supreme Court dismisses FFAW-Unifor appeal of FISH-NL’s union status; ordered to pay legal costs
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Wednesday, Jan. 23rd, 2019
The province’s Supreme Court has dismissed an FFAW-Unifor appeal of FISH-NL’s status as a properly constituted union, and ordered the FFAW to pay court costs.
“The FFAW has used every legal maneuver in the book to try and quash the FISH-NL movement and drown their own members in legal fees, but the highest court in the land has seen through it,” says Ryan Cleary, President of the Federation of Independent Sea Harvesters of Newfoundland and Labrador.
“Coming the day before FISH-NL’s convention in Gander, the decision is a huge boost.”
In early 2017, days after FISH-NL filed it application for certification with the Labour Relations Board, the FFAW-Unifor applied to the Board for a review of FISH-NL’s status as a properly constituted union.
Then, in February of that year, the Board ruled FISH-NL is an “association of fishers” under the Fisheries Industry Collective Bargaining Act, but the FFAW later appealed the decision to the Supreme Court of Newfoundland and Labrador.
Justice Donald Burrage’s decision in favour of FISH-NL was filed today with the court. A copy of the judgement is attached.
“The FFAW will use any technicality to stop inshore harvesters from getting a vote to decide their union future,” said Cleary. “FISH-NL is nothing but determined to see democracy return to the union movement.”
While the Labour Relations Board dismissed FISH-NL’s application for certification this past fall, a second application and membership drive is planned for later this year.
Contact Ryan Cleary 682 4862
