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Local restaurant workers apply to join union

Kitchen, bar and restaurant workers at The Deck and Morel's in Coast High Country Inn will vote next week on whether to unionize.

Kitchen, bar and restaurant workers at The Deck and Morel’s in Coast High Country Inn will vote next week on whether to unionize.

To determine whether a Yukon workplace can be certified as part of a union, the Canadian Industrial Relations Board must receive 35 to 50 per cent of employee support.

Nearly 50 per cent of The Deck and Morel’s workers signed cards to support joining the United Association’s Local 310 union. The next step would be for the workers to vote on if they want the union to represent them.

“There’s about 32 employees involved right now and we will be working very hard to represent the staff members there,” said Matthew Magoffin, the union’s business manager.

The board will announce next week when the workers can vote, said Magoffin.

He said that the workers approached the union. But until voting day, he won’t disclose details of the workers’ conditions and issues.

“I don’t want to go into specifics right now,” he said. “I also know from experience that working in that industry is tough.”

“We want to offer better job security for everyone and that includes apprenticeship training for the kitchen and the bar staff,” he added.

The board may notify Coast High Country Inn or the union to commence bargaining if it certifies United Association to represent the employees.

John Robertson, general manager of the hotel, declined to comment.