A labour dispute in Port Coquitlam has prompted the BC Federation of Labour to call on its members to boycott Westminster Savings Credit Union.
Eight unionized employees at WSCU's Shaughnessy Station branch, members of MoveUP, have been on strike since Jan. 22 over proposed changes to their pensions and job security. They had been without a contract for more than two years.
Westminster Savings recently announced it would be closing the branch, the only one that is unionized, in the fall. The company said in-person use of the branch had declined and needed upgrades to the building would be too costly. The credit union said the closure was not related to the branch’s unionized status.
The BC Fed boycott calls for its member unions and the public to withdraw all funds from Westminster Savings except what is minimally required to keep an account open to maintain a voting share.
“Asking supporters to cease doing business with an organization is not an easy request to make,” said David Black, president of MoveUP in a press release. “Westminster Savings needs to know there are repercussions for their actions against our members, first by going after their pension plan and now by attempting to shut down the Shaughnessy Station branch in Port Coquitlam.”
BC Fed president Laird Cronk said the notice was being issued in solidarity with the workers to protect their pensions.
“British Columbians can send a clear message, one that hits Westminster Savings in the pocketbook,” Cronk said in press release.
ggranger@tricitynews.com
