Unifor to increase pressure on Co-op one month into lockout

Unifor announced plans Tuesday to increase its pressure on the Co-op Refinery in Regina 34 days into the lockout of its members.

The union said it is awaiting a response from the Co-op after reaching out to its negotiator on Monday, asking the employer to drop concessions on the pension plan and return to the bargaining table.

During a rally along the picket line Tuesday afternoon, Scott Doherty — the executive assistant to the national president of Unifor — said if the company does not remove the concessions, the union will ramp up its fight.

“We’re going to escalate our boycott and escalate our actions,” said Doherty.

Unifor is already picketing at Co-op gas stations across the province and has recently expanded the boycott to other provinces in Western Canada.

Doherty said there are other ways to put pressure on the company but wouldn’t reveal details of those plans. He hinted those actions will target the replacement workers.

“I think you can see what we’ve done in the past,” he said. “We’re going to make sure people know that scabs aren’t welcome and we don’t welcome scabs at this facility.”

In 2018, Unifor posted a “meet the scabs” video on social media exposing workers crossing the picket lines in the midst of a two-year lockout at D-J Composites in Gander, N.L.

On Dec. 7, Doherty retweeted that video and added a reminder to those crossing the picket line at the Co-op refinery.

Here is a reminder of what happens to scabs who cross a #Unifor picket line – in case anyone is thinking about trying to work @CoopRefinery Expect even worse if you are already collecting the pension that @CoopFCL is trying to gut from your @Unifor594 family #disgusting https://t.co/pZO6rwm2Vm

— Scott Doherty (@ScottDUnifor) December 8, 2019

Lana Payne, Unifor’s national secretary-treasurer, doesn’t believe the Co-op can last that long but said the labour dispute in Regina does have some comparisons to the one in Gander, calling it an “attack on the union.”

She pointed to the money spent on helicopters to fly in replacement workers and billboards which call it a strike instead of a lockout.

“They’re the ones who locked folks out. Why would you lie about that?” asked Payne.

In response, the Co-op has launched its own web campaign saying it respects the facts. When it first started using helicopters, it said that was because delays at the picket lines created a “dangerous situation.”

“It’s like a bottomless pit of money, basically, to try and take on these workers. Then in the next breath they say, ‘We respect you.’ This is the exact opposite of respect,” said Payne.

According to Payne, Unifor has a national defence fund of $160 million to support its members during labour disputes. That will be used as Unifor issued a national call of solidarity, planning to bring hundreds of members from out of province to the picket lines in Regina.

The company also is thinking about seeking a contempt of court order against Unifor. The sides are disputing the interpretation of a court injunction that puts limits on picketing in front of the refinery.

“This dispute is not going to be settled in the courts or by the Regina Police Service. This is going to be settled at the bargaining table with us,” said Doherty.

As the mercury drops and the lockout enters its second month, neither side appears close to giving in to the other’s demands. However, Unifor believes its members are strong enough to outlast the company through the winter.

“At some point, there will be a breaking point. There will be no choice. (The company) will have to come to the bargaining table to negotiate a fair collective agreement,” Payne said. “Our resolve and the resolve of these folks is very strong and that’s what’s going to withstand it, and eventually (the employer) will come to that realization one way or another.”