Canadian Auto Workers and CEP to announce results of vote creating super union

QUEBEC – The Communications, Energy and Paperworkers Union of Canada is set to announce the results of a merger vote with the Canadian Auto Workers union that would create Canada's largest private sector union.

The results will be disclosed at 1:00 p.m. in Quebec City at the CEP's national convention. The vote follows unanimous support by CAW delegates in August.

The new union would represent more than 300,000 workers across roughly 20 economic sectors.

Most of the membership would be concentrated in manufacturing, communications and transportation. But the new entity would also represent some public sector employees working in health, education and transit roles.

Unions represent some 30 per cent of the Canadian workforce, according to the CAW, well above levels in the United States.

A 16-member committee of representatives from both unions unanimously urged the organizations to formally merge by 2013.

Key players have said the two groups must join forces in order to ensure protection for existing members and inject some life back into the national labour movement.

CAW president Ken Lewenza, who was recently re-elected to a new three-year term, has said it would be hard for the union to part with its name.

However, Lewenza said a new approach to organized labour is needed in light of what he called the federal government's attack on unions in recent years.

CEP president Dave Coles has said the merger makes sense because the two unions share a similar history and have worked together in the past.