Whitehorse workers file employment standards complaint

A group of mechanical workers has filed a complaint to Yukon Employment Standards, saying they're not getting the same wage as other workers at the F.H. Collins Secondary School construction site in Whitehorse.

Jeff Sloychuk, president of the Yukon Building Trades Council, says hes heard from a number of employees that the employer is not paying fair overtime, and pays more to its outside workers.

Up until recently, workers on this job were working up to 10 hours a day with no overtime over eight, he says. When the employer learned about the employee standards complaint, they immediately cut all the workers down to eight hours, however, the B.C. workers are still working 10-hour shifts."

Rob Christman is the manager of Christman Plumbing and Heating, the company the workers have filed their complaint against.

"They're getting paid the same amount, he says. But the B.C. workers are getting paid a live-out allowance also. The reason we pay overtime to the out-of-town guys is because they only work 18 to 20 days per month, so basically it equalsout in the end."

Christman says the union "has never once contacted me to discuss what the wages are, to discuss anything about what we're doing up there."

Sloychuk says he hopes Employment Standards investigates the complaint.