By Patrick Book

Saskatchewan Premier Brad Wall recalls legislature to force end to SGEU crop insurance strike

Jun 23, 2011 | 2:14 PM

Saskatchewan's premier is following through on his ultimatum to force an end to the Saskatchewan Government Employee's Union (SGEU) strike by recalling the legislature to send Saskatchewan Crop Insurance Corporation employees back to work.

On Wednesday Wall gave SGEU leaders a day to end the strike, insisting their decision to pull employees during a one-in-500-year flood that has left at least five million acres of farm land unseeded is “appalling” and “unconscionable.” He insists the strike needs to end and to make that happen he's calling MLAs back for an emergency sitting on Monday, June 27.

“We have hundreds and hundreds of claims coming in every day from flood-ravaged farmers. We're at over 6,000 claims for unseeded acreage – 92 are processed. What I heard yesterday from Mr. Bymoen, who's the head of the SGEU is alarming,” explained Wall. “Some might say, 'Well, what about give it a few more days, what about a few more weeks?' Well I'm not going to trust the future of Saskatchewan farmers ravaged by a flood to somebody who would say that the union used this storm, the flood, as a window of opportunity to get a better deal.”

Wall believes the SGEU president's claim that the union is using the flood as a “window of opportunity” to get a better deal from the government is a sign that they aren't bargaining in good faith.

Once the legislature reconvenes on Monday the government could potentially pass the bill in a single day if the NDP supports it. If the party opposes it may take as many as nine days, according to Wall.

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NDP leader Dwain Lingenfelter wants to see the bill before he makes any decisions. He is, however, accusing the premier of playing politics, insisting the government could have avoided the current situation by making a deal with the union at any time in the 21 months they've been without a contract.

“Now in the middle of the flooding he's trying to look like he's saving the day when he could have solved this problem months ago,” Lingenfelter insists.

The government and the SGEU were still in talks as of Thursday afternoon. Wall concedes that if an agreement can be struck before Monday there would be no need to bring MLAs back.

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