Vancity’s union is suing Vancity

Normally I would say that employment contracts are a managerial issue, not a governance issue. However, when a group of 950 employees (who are members/shareholders) decide to go to the courts for assistance, it’s a serious matter.

In this case, Vancity’s 950 unionized employees, represented by BCGEU, are suing Vancity for breach of contract.

(Update: I’ve been told anonymously that the union is not there supporting the 950 staff members, but their own agenda. I’m not surprised. No one at the union has been willing to talk to me about this. I don’t hold any opinion on this issue, but I raise it here as an indicator of general dysfunction.)

When a group of members has a serious problem, they should be able to raise the issue at a general meeting if they want to. Even if the problem could not be solved at a general meeting, the threat of exposure might be enough to prevent management and the Board from getting out of line in the first place.

I am reminded of the way that the US bank Wells Fargo created a culture where, over the course of 14 years, employees were compelled to open what may have been millions of fraudulent bank accounts. 14 years!! If egregious conduct could be brought to the attention of Vancity’s membership, surely it would not be able to persist for so long.

Why have Vancity’s unionized employees not spoken out at an AGM thus far? Perhaps the reason is that with an attendance of 139 people (in 2022), the Board has created a culture where AGMs are good for nothing.