Unifor members picket in front of a co-op bulk fuel station while a person looks on. (Alison Sandstrom/paNOW Staff)

By Alison Sandstrom

Labour dispute

Unifor pickets co-op gas station in P.A.

Jun 11, 2020 | 1:11 PM

Around a dozen Unifor members picketed the Co-op bulk fuel station on Fifth Avenue E. Thursday, while several more set up in front of the Co-op Marquis Road gas station.

Unionized workers have been locked out of the Federated Co-op Limited Refinery in Regina since December.

Master operator Chad Borys told paNOW he hopes the most recent pickets will be a final push towards a settlement. It has been a long and at times bitter labour dispute.

“We have to keep it up until the government sits back in the Ledge on Monday,” he said. “And we’re hoping that they’ll put a bill on the table to legislate us back to work.”

Unifor members on the picket line in front of the co-op bulk fuel station. (Alison Sandstrom/paNOW Staff)

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Also on the picket line was Karsten Elliot. The Prince Albert native moved to Regina to work as a process operator in the refinery five years ago.

“It was a great opportunity,” he said. “I loved the job and people were great, but as time went on it became apparent the co-op had other plans for the future.”

Elliot said he’s been impressed by the support the picketers have been getting in his home town.

“People in Prince Albert have actually had quite open minds,” he said.

The often bitter labour dispute between Unifor and Co-op has largely been about pensions. Unifor wanted workers to have the option to stay on their current defined-benefit plans or to switch to a defined-contribution plan.

On the other hand, the company says changes are needed to keep the refinery sustainable as it transitions to a low-carbon economy.

Unifor Local 594 has been calling on the provincial government to invoke binding arbitration. Last month, membership rejected what Federated Co-operatives Ltd., called its best and final offer to end the dispute.

That offer differed from recommendations made by special mediator Vince Ready, who was appointed by the province to bridge the two sides.

In an email to paNOW later on Thursday, Cam Zimmer, communications and public relations manager at Federated Co-operatives Limited said in part, “this offer provides a total compensation package that exceeds all other refineries in Canada, which they have chosen to reject in a tough economy and even tougher energy sector.

“We appreciate the efforts of government-appointed special mediators Vince Ready and Amanda Rogers to bring us closer together. FCL has made concessions throughout the bargaining process and has agreed to most of the special mediators’ recommendations,” Zimmer added.

With files from CKOM

Editor’s note: This article was amended to include a statement from Federated Co-operatives Ltd.

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alison.sandstrom@jpbg.ca

On Twitter: @alisandstrom