Viterra workers in Manitoba vote against union

WINNIPEG, Manitoba, June 9 (Reuters) - Manitoba employees of Viterra (VT.TO), Canada's largest grain handler, have voted against representation from the Grain Services Union, the company and the union said separately on Tuesday.

The Manitoba country operations and maintenance employees who cast ballots voted 81.4 percent against representation from the GSU in a secret mail-in vote.

The union has been attempting to represent Manitoba employees since Viterra's predecessor, the Saskatchewan Wheat Pool, took over Agricore United in 2007. Agricore's grain-handling workers were largely non-unionized.

The Canadian Industrial Relations Board originally certified the GSU to represent the workers in July 2008, but Viterra contested the order based on the inclusion of two grain-handling facilities that had been in another bargaining unit, said Hugh Wagner, general secretary of the union.

The GSU asked for a vote to be held by February, but the board called it in April with a voting deadline of June 8.

"These kinds of procedural problems and delays have a tendency to hurt the union's cause, Wagner said in an interview.

Viterra Chief Operating Officer Fran Malecha said in a statement that the company was pleased workers got the chance to vote.

Of 197 workers eligible to cast a ballot, 183 voted, Viterra said.

The union currently represents 1,000 Viterra workers in Western Canada, including Saskatchewan and Alberta employees, as well as employees at a Manitoba bean plant and two grain-handling facilities. (Reporting by Rod Nickel; editing by Rob Wilson)