A dozen Unifor members were seeing walking in front of the Sask Energy office in Prince Albert on fifth Ave. E. (Nigel Maxwell/ paNOW Staff)

By Nigel Maxwell

Labour Action

“Morale is high and we just want a fair deal”: Unifor members go on strike

Oct 4, 2019 | 12:02 PM

Equipped with a hot cup of coffee in one hand and a sign in the other, employees represented by Unifor are walking the picket lines outside the SaskEnergy, SaskPower and SaskTel offices in Prince Albert and Melfort.

They have joined other Unifor members across the province who walked off the job at 12:01 a.m. Friday at seven of Saskatchewan’s Crown corporations. According to the union, negotiations between the Crowns and workers had reached an impasse.

paNOW’s attempts to get a comment from local workers were forwarded to the union’s media person in Regina, but one man said “morale is high and we just want a fair deal.”

Unifor represents approximately 4,300 to 4,400 Crown employees. Essential services agreements and business continuity plans were set in place at all Crowns to ensure vital services continue in the event of a strike.

Workers outside the SaskTel store in Melfort. (Aaron Schulze/ northeastNOW Staff)

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A strike across Saskatchewan’s Crown corporations seemed nearly inevitable Thursday, as the deadline for a deal crept closer. At a press conference, Jerry Dias, president of Unifor National, told media members it was clear that the Crowns and the union were at an impasse. He said it had been a week since the union made its last offer and it hadn’t heard anything from the Crowns or the provincial government.

Dias explained the union was asking for a two per cent increase a year while pointing out that Crown corporations made $400 million in profits last year.

Dias places the blame for the impasse on the provincial government. He said the Crown bargainers have told him the government mandated the Crowns not offer any increases for the first two years.

Premier Moe on the talks

Speaking in Saskatoon earlier Thursday, Moe said the provincial government doesn’t believe a general strike will be in the best interests of the Crown corporations or their workers.

He acknowledged there is a framework the Crowns are working from in their negotiations but said it doesn’t amount to a wage freeze.

“We feel there is an offer on the table that is five points over five years … We feel this is a fair offer as we look forward over the course of the next five years,” said Moe.

Moe said he hoped the sides could come to an agreement without job action. But he also said the Crowns were actively planning to keep services provided and work was being done on essential services.

When asked if the province was looking at back-to-work legislation, Moe said the government wasn’t actively considering it and that the government respects the workers’ right to strike.

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nigel.maxwell@jpbg.ca

On Twitter: @nigelmaxwell

— with files from Lisa Schick/ 980 CJME