Published Jul 28, 2025Last updated 8 minutes ago6 minute readWorkers affiliated with Cape Breton Island Building & Construction Trades Council stage strike action outside of Cape Breton University on July 7. It appears that at least one trades union local has reached a tentative agreement as part of a two-week-old strike. IAN NATHANSON/CAPE BRETON POST FILE IAN NATHANSON/CAPE BRETON POSTArticle contentA tentative agreement between the Nova Scotia Construction Labour Relations Association (NSCLRA) and the Cape Breton Island Building & Construction Trades Council has yet to be ratified, but already some unionized trades workers are alleging this deal as being unfair.THIS CONTENT IS RESERVED FOR SUBSCRIBERS ONLY.Subscribe now to access this story and more:Unlimited access to the website and appExclusive access to premium content, newsletters and podcastsFull access to the e-Edition app, an electronic replica of the print edition that you can share, download and comment onEnjoy insights and behind-the-scenes analysis from our award-winning journalistsSupport local journalists and the next generation of journalistsSUBSCRIBE TO UNLOCK MORE ARTICLES.Subscribe or sign in to your account to continue your reading experience.Unlimited access to the website and appExclusive access to premium content, newsletters and podcastsFull access to the e-Edition app, an electronic replica of the print edition that you can share, download and comment onEnjoy insights and behind-the-scenes analysis from our award-winning journalistsSupport local journalists and the next generation of journalistsRegister to unlock more articles.Create an account or sign in to continue your reading experience.Access additional stories every monthShare your thoughts and join the conversation in our commenting communityGet email updates from your favourite authorsSign In or Create an AccountorArticle contentThe workers, who agreed to speak to the Cape Breton Post on the condition of anonymity, also claim that the labour board is allegedly forcing them back to work while a mainland Nova Scotia union representing pipefitting professionals continues to strike.Article contentArticle contentArticle content“They promised us everything, and now they’re forcing us back to work while crossing the picket line,” said one member of the International Union of Painters & Allied Trades (IUPAT), Atlantic division, without mentioning the specific local.Article content“I don’t know if it’s either a shady deal that they had done, but they didn’t take our vote on it. They accepted a deal that we weren’t even briefed about.”Article contentCONTRACT NOT EVEN COMPLETEArticle contentAnother caller from the same union echoed a similar sentiment, speaking on the condition of anonymity.Article content“The contract isn’t even finished yet, like they just dealt with the dollar amount or whatever, and there’s still more to it,” the worker said. “The contract’s not even complete, and there’s still people picketing, but they want us to cross the line.”Article contentLast week, a Sydney-based local of the Labourers’ International Union of North America (LIUNA) posted on its social media site claiming they received orders from the NSCLRA to halt their support for a striking pipefitters union elsewhere in the province.Article contentArticle contentIn that Facebook post issued this past Wednesday, LIUNA Local 1115 said, “Attention members: the office has received numerous cease-and-desist orders from the labour board regarding the sprinkler fitter strike (on the mainland).Article content“Please be advised that we have accepted a tentative offer, and although we have supported UA (United Association) Local 56’s position, we are required to comply with the labour board orders.Article content“Failure to comply will result in fines and penalties to both the individual and the union.”Article content A Facebook post warning from LIUNA Local 1115 that the Construction Labour Relations Association is issuing cease-and-desist orders regarding the sprinkler fitters strike in mainland Nova Scotia. Photo by CONTRIBUTED/FACEBOOKArticle content‘I DON’T REPRESENT THEM’ Article contentA spokesperson for LIUNA Local 1115 refused to discuss the matter and instead deferred comments to Ernie Dalton, president of the Cape Breton Island Building & Construction Trades Council.Article contentDalton didn’t respond to several phone interview requests from the Post last week, but on Friday issued an email statement, mentioning there may be some confusion regarding the mainland union’s strike and its relation to the Cape Breton trades union’s tentative deal.Article content“The sprinkler fitters of UA Local 56 do not participate in multi-trade bargaining on Cape Breton Island,” Dalton said. “They are part of a national agreement which UA Local 56 negotiates with the Canadian Automatic Sprinkler Association. That union remains in a legal strike position. All of the construction unions are working together to manage the current challenges in the construction industry on Cape Breton Island.”Article content Ernie Dalton, president of the Cape Breton Island Building & Construction Trades Council: “Even though they’re under our banner, I don’t represent them.” Photo by CONTRIBUTEDArticle contentHowever, in a previous phone interview with the Post, Dalton did acknowledge that UA Local 56 members could conceivably set up picket lines in Cape Breton rather than on the mainland.Article content“Even though they’re under our banner, I don’t represent them,” he told the Post. “From what I understand, this is all legal stuff, and there’s some cease-and-desist orders on the mainland because they’re apparently not allowed to be striking up there because of the way their contract works. But they can strike in Cape Breton.”Article contentArticle contentSTANDARD PRACTICEArticle contentCalum MacLeod, labour relations officer for the NSCLRA, said issuing cease-and-desist orders on such matters is standard practice.Article content“It’s been going on for the past two weeks on the mainland,” MacLeod said. “When there’s a valid agreement in place and the trades are freezing across the picket line, there’s an understanding that they need an order from the boards to cross it.”Article contentMacLeod told the Post that no one individual from LIUNA Local 1115 sparked the reason to prompt CLRA’s move to issue the order.Article content“No one, specifically, just all members,” MacLeod said.Article content“Because everyone was on strike, there weren’t any of these orders issued over the past two weeks. But now that there’s only one trade and everyone else has agreed to go back to work, the practice would be subordinated to these orders, and they started issuing orders in some cases.”Article contentArticle contentBased in Dartmouth, UA Local 56 represents a combined plumbers and steamfitters local in the building, construction and metal trades divisions. Though workers in that union aren’t wholly connected with the Cape Breton strike, its members are continuing their picketing.Article content Workers affiliated with Cape Breton Island Building & Construction Trades Council staged strike action outside of Cape Breton University on July 7. The Nova Scotia Construction Labour Relations Association announced on July 22 it had reached a tentative agreement with the trades council as part of a two-week-old strike. Photo by IAN NATHANSON/CAPE BRETON POST FILEArticle content‘TWO COMMON AGREEMENTS’ Article contentThe NSCLRA and its president, Robert Shepherd, announced on July 22 that a tentative agreement had been reached between the labour board and the Cape Breton Island Building & Construction Trades Council, pausing a 14-day-old strike by 10 of 14 unions affiliated with the trades council. The agreement is still pending approval, but picketing workers in the Cape Breton strike were told to head back to work as of last Monday, July 21.Article content“On July 18, the 10 (Cape Breton trades council) affiliates entered into a tentative collective agreement with the NSCLRA to resolve the strike,” Dalton said in his emailed statement from Friday. “This agreement was negotiated by business managers, who are elected representatives from each of the 10 affiliated unions.Article content“The unions bargain two common agreements; one for industrial work and another for commercial work. Under our multi-trade bargaining model, each of the unions will now negotiate their individual appendices (language other than wages) to each of the two agreements. Those negotiations are between each union and their trade-class employers of the NSCLRA.”Article contentNo specific date was mentioned when that ratification vote will take place. Anonymous callers to the Post have claimed they have heard a vote allegedly might not be taking place until early August.Article content‘PENDING RATIFICATION’Article contentWhile Dalton’s statement didn’t get into specifics about when that ratification would take place, he did say that “once the bargaining process is fully complete, each union will seek ratification of their respective agreements.Article content“Members of each union will have the opportunity to vote on their individual trade agreements which will be presented by their business manager(s). This bargaining process has been followed on Cape Breton Island for almost 50 years. Any confusion by individual members can easily be addressed by their local union leadership.Article contentArticle content“The tentative agreement puts workers back to work while pending ratification of the agreements. If the agreements are approved by union members, they will be paid the new rates effective July 18. It is what both sides have sought since the beginning of the work stoppage.Article content“Our intent from the start was to get our workers back on the job as quickly as possible while also securing an agreement that addresses today’s cost of living demands and brings wages up to par with trades professionals in other Canadian provinces.”Article content Robert Shepherd, president of the Nova Scotia Construction Labour Relations Association, is shown in November 2020 signing a new five-year contract with Cape Breton Building & Construction Trades Council in Membertou in 2020 “This agreement recognizes the critical role tradespeople play in Cape Breton’s economy and positions local tradespeople on a highly competitive wage scale across Atlantic Canada,” Shepherd said in a statement released on July 22 regarding its tentative agreement reached with the Cape Breton trades council. Photo by GREG MCNEIL/CAPE BRETON POST FILEArticle content‘HISTORIC’ TENTATIVE AGREEMENT Article contentAs the Post previously reported, the NSCLRA said their tentative agreement includes a 17.95 per cent wage-package increase over four years for all affiliated unionized building trades workers in the industrial and commercial construction sector — including a seven per cent increase in year one.Article contentArticle contentWith this tentative agreement, the NSCLRA explained in its July 22 news release, “In the first year, the hourly wage package for Cape Breton Island journeypersons working on commercial jobs would range from $49.20 to $58.82 per hour, depending on their trade. Those working on industrial jobs would see a range from $54.06 to $63.79 per hour depending on their trade.”Article contentThe labour association also called this tentative agreement “historic” and “represent(ing) the largest of its kind in the region’s history.”Article contentCalls to Shepherd regarding the UA Local 56 strike, and anonymous union workers’ allegations of an unfair deal, were not returned.Article content
Cape Breton trades workers upset over alleged labour board return-to-work call
