The union representing about 7,400 workers in the British Columbia port dispute has been warned by the Canada Industrial Relations Board that changing its mind about a new deal during ratification would be an “unfair labour practice.”
The board’s order issued Sunday also says the International Longshore and Warehouse Union Canada must hold a ratification vote on the deal with employers no later than Friday, and restricts both sides from commenting to the media, beyond a single joint-statement announcing the agreement.
A labour law expert said the order shows the complexity of resolving a dispute involving thousands of union members spread over large areas, who may have differing priorities for a deal.
“Certainly, the union generally tries to avoid a situation where there is a gap between negotiators and their leadership, but it’s often the case that there’s a gap between those who are negotiating an agreement at the bargaining table and the membership themselves,” said Liam McHugh-Russell, assistant professor at Dalhousie University’s Schulich School of Law.
Sunday’s warning to the union’s leadership came after a previous proposed contract was supported by union negotiators, then rejected by leaders before they changed course and recommended it to members — who then sank it in a full vote last week.
“There’s the fundamental tension between the workers … and the employer,” McHugh-Russell said. “But there’s also a tension in terms of what workers themselves want, and there’s a difficulty for the union in ensuring that all of those voices and interests get represented at the table.”
The union and the BC Maritime Employers Association announced a late-night breakthrough Sunday, saying in their joint statement they had reached a new negotiated agreement and would be recommending it to their members.
The joint statement said the new tentative deal was reached with the assistance of the industrial relations board.
The long-running dispute saw workers walk off the job at more than 30 port terminals and other sites for 13 days at the beginning of July, freezing the movement of billions of dollars worth of cargo in and out of some of Canada’s busiest ports.
McHugh-Russell said while the joint statement sounds promising, the union’s full membership vote could reject the latest proposal.
He said the challenge now for the union is to pull together the diverging voices and priorities within its membership — something it couldn’t achieve ahead of last week’s vote on the previous proposed contract.
“There is always some conflict and tension within bargaining units,” McHugh-Russell said. “No two people ever want the exact same thing from their employers. Employees with kids often want better dental plans, and employees without kids might prefer to have a slightly bigger raise.
“What we see playing out here is an example of internal tensions of a group of people, all trying to bargain collectively.”
Given the possible changes in the new agreement, McHugh-Russell said there’s now also the small possibility that individual employers represented by the BCMEA may not be completely satisfied — adding another level of uncertainty.
He said every time a deal hammered out at the table gets rejected by union members, it damages the credibility of negotiators and ultimately weakens the union’s bargaining position.
“It makes it harder to reach a deal, because both sides can’t be sure what they are saying at the table is going to stick when it comes to asking for the membership to sign off on it,” McHugh-Russell said. “The stakes are high for everyone.”
After the previous deal was voted down last week, Labour Minister Seamus O’Regan announced Saturday he was directing the industrial relations board to determine if a negotiated end to the dispute was still possible, and if not, to impose an agreement or final binding arbitration.
The industrial relations board’s order on Sunday said that if the new deal is voted down by members of either side, both the union and the employers will have two days to address O’Regan’s question whether a negotiated end to the conflict can still be achieved.
Pressure had been mounting for federal intervention if a deal failed to eventuate.
Parties including Alberta Premier Danielle Smith, the Business Council of Canada and the Canadian Federation of Independent Business have all urged the federal government to legislate an end to the dispute if it continued.
The industrial relations board’s order, posted online, also says the union must not engage in strike activity, and the employers must not conduct a lockout, until after the ratification results are known.
It also orders both sides not to speak publicly about details of the new agreement until both sides have completed their ratification votes.
CALGARY – TC Energy Corp. has completed its spinoff of South Bow Corp., its crude oil pipelines business, as an independent company.
The new company, which will be headquartered in Calgary with an office in Houston, will be led by Bevin Wirzba, formerly the executive vice-president for TC Energy’s natural gas and liquids pipelines business.
South Bow will run TC Energy’s crude oil pipelines business, including the critical Keystone pipeline system.
The move is the result of a strategic review in which the Calgary-based TC considered its options including the potential sale of the oil pipelines business.
Spinning off the oil pipelines business, which has long-term committed contracts with oil shippers, will give South Bow the chance to use its robust cash flows to pay down debt and enhance shareholder returns, while TC Energy will become a growth-oriented company focused on natural gas.
TC Energy — which has natural gas transportation infrastructure in Canada, the U.S., and Mexico — is bullish on the future of the commodity, in particular the potential for growth spurred by demand for liquefied natural gas (LNG).
TC Energy also has plans to look at new, low-carbon energy opportunities such as nuclear and pumped hydro energy storage.
The company has been under scrutiny by analysts and credit ratings for its significant debt load as well as for cost overruns on the Coastal GasLink pipeline project, which was completed in the fall of 2023.
TC Energy shareholders voted in favour of the spinoff of the crude pipelines business in a vote in June.
South Bow common shares were distributed Tuesday to TC Energy shareholders of record on Sept. 25. Shareholders received one South Bow common share for every five TC Energy common shares owned.
South Bow’s common shares are expected to start trading on the Toronto Stock Exchange on Wednesday under the ticker symbol SOBO. Trading on the New York Stock Exchange is expected to start on or about Oct. 8.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Oct. 1, 2024.
Why do I keep seeing LinkedIn profiles with an empty banner and/or no profile picture? Are these people oblivious to the importance of a first impression, or do they just not care?
You, I, and everyone judge; hence, we live in a judgemental society. Your image, which shapes how people view you, is everything.
You can’t claim to be a serious job seeker if you’re not taking advantage of LinkedIn’s visual opportunities to optimize your profile to make a strong impression. When it comes to social media content, visuals are scrolling-stoppers. Aside from your profile picture, your LinkedIn banner is the first visual people see.
View your LinkedIn banner as a billboard strategically placed at street level, which you can use to capture the attention of passersby who may have a potential opportunity. (In a previous column, I wrote that opportunities exist all around you; the caveat is they’re attached to people.) Advertisers spend a great deal of money to have billboards with a captivating visual and compelling message, making the point that billboard advertising is a good investment for driving traffic to their offerings. Your LinkedIn banner—your billboard—is free, so why not use it to market yourself to employers?
If your LinkedIn banner is currently blank, hopefully, you’re now convinced that leaving it blank is likely costing you job search and career opportunities, and you no longer want to leave it blank. Here are instructions on how to create a LinkedIn banner using Canva, a user-friendly graphic design tool that offers various customization options.
Step 1: Create a Canva account
Canva offers both free and paid plans. Their free plan is more than adequate to design your LinkedIn banner. Go to Canva’s website and sign up using your email address or social media account.
Step 2: Choose the LinkedIn banner template
In the Canva dashboard, type in ‘LinkedIn Background Photo’ in the search bar at the top to find a LinkedIn banner template. Canva offers a variety of pre-made templates—as I write this, there are 7,203 LinkedIn banner templates (Canva Pro)—that are optimally sized for LinkedIn, which is 1584 x 396 pixels. Alternatively, you can use Canva to create your LinkedIn banner from scratch.
Step 3: Customize the template
Here’s where the fun begins; experimenting with all the templates and conveying your message to employers. Canva provides an interface that allows you to customize your banner template in multiple ways.
Edit text: Click on the text elements in the template to change them. You can modify the text, fonts, colours, and sizes to match your personal brand or professional style. Ensure that the text is concise, relevant, and legible.
Add elements: Shapes, lines, icons, illustrations, and other design elements, which Canva offer a wide variety of, can be included in your banner. When used strategically, these will make your banner more visually appealing and emphasize specific aspects of your personal or professional brand.
Upload your own images: Nothing will personalize your LinkedIn banner more than incorporating your own images, such as a picture of you in your work environment or enjoying your hobby, a logo or any other relevant images, into your banner.
Change the background: You can change your banner’s background to reflect your profession, industry and personality. Canva offers a multitude of colours, gradients, and images, allowing you to create an eye-catching, scroll-stoping background.
If you’re actively job searching, consider adding your contact information and, at the risk of adding fuel to the ongoing LinkedIn’s #OPENTOWORK green banner feature, announcing you’re looking for your next opportunity or available ‘for hire.’
Step 4: Maintain consistency
When designing your LinkedIn banner, ensure it aligns with your personal brand and harmonizes with your profile picture. Consistency in design and branding is critical to creating a strong professional image on a social media platform. It’s important to avoid having your profile picture’s colour conflicting with those in your banner and vice versa.
Step 5: Review and adjust
Before finalizing your LinkedIn banner, take a moment to review your design. Check for any typos, ensure the banner is eye-catching, and convey the message you want to send to your LinkedIn network and hiring managers. Your banner should show your intention and indicate that you’ve taken a thoughtful and strategic approach to your profile.
Step 6: Download your new LinkedIn banner
Once you’re satisfied with your banner, click the download button in the upper-right corner of Canva’s interface. You’ll be prompted to choose the file format; select PNG for the best image quality. Once downloaded, your banner can be uploaded to your LinkedIn profile.
Similar to how advertisers run campaigns for a period of time, updating your LinkedIn banner every quarter is an effective way to get noticed. Aside from updating your banner to reflect different aspects of your abilities, you may also want to consider updating your banner image to reflect a relevant seasonal or holiday theme—autumn, Thanksgiving, Christmas or whatever holidays you celebrate. A visually compelling banner isn’t just an accessory; it’s a powerful tool in your job search arsenal, especially since, more than ever, image is everything.
Nick Kossovan, a well-seasoned veteran of the corporate landscape, offers “unsweetened” job search advice. You can send Nick your questions to artoffindingwork@gmail.com.
TORONTO – TD Bank Group has agreed to pay more than US$28 million after an investigation into manipulation of the U.S. Treasuries market by one of its traders.
The deferred prosecution agreement with the U.S. Department of Justice has TD agreeing that a former employee created a false appearance of supply or demand in the market by placing bids or offers, only to cancel them before completion.
The agreement says hundreds of so-called spoof orders were placed, amounting to tens of billions of dollars of false supply and demand, in an effort to artificially increase the market prices of those products.
The resolution comes as TD is also soon expected to settle a sweeping investigation into shortcomings of its anti-money laundering program that the bank expects will cost it more than US$3 billion.
The agreement on the spoofing case has TD paying about US$12.6 million in civil penalties. It also faces US$9.4 million in criminal penalties, which court documents say is the statutory maximum, plus US$4.7 million in victim compensation and US$1.4 million in forfeiture.
TD says it takes regulatory and employee conduct violations very seriously, and that it reported the employee and fired him and has since enhanced its monitoring and compliance capabilities.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 30, 2024.
