Brinks employees overwhelmingly vote in favour of strike

Brink’s employees in British Columbia and Ontario have voted overwhelmingly in favour of a strike.

At stake are staffing levels: employees of Brink’s Canada Limited, represented by Unifor, are asking for three person crews for deliveries and pick-ups, so that the driver could remain in the vehicle.

Currently, there is only the driver and one other person, and both must leave the vehicle, which Unifor says leaves employees vulnerable to attack.

“The physical safety of our members is at the core of these negotiations so there is no question that Unifor is prepared to take any and all necessary action,” Unifor national president Jerry Dias said in a statement on Wednesday.

Employees in Ontario – 800 members – voted 98 per cent in favour of a strike. In B.C., where there are 300 members, there is 95 per cent support for the strike.

The strike could begin on Oct. 15 and Oct. 16. Negotiations in B.C. will be are underway, and will be held in Ontario from Oct. 2-6.

Another issue is the move from a Defined Benefit Pension to a voluntary Defined Contribution plan. As well, “workers in British Columbia also lag behind their Ontario counterparts financially despite the fact that many of the corporate contracts are national,” the union said.

“Our members have had enough, it’s time for fairness,” Dias said.

“The company needs to come to the table with an offer that protects its workers both physically and financially.”