Pensions and power: Local Co-op workers speak from the picket line

For local Co-op refinery workers who have been on the picket lines since Day 1, the escalation of the labour dispute this week comes down to pensions and power.

“I’m a year and a half away from retirement and what the company is doing to my pension and what they would like to do to me, it actually enrages me,” Unifor Local 594 member Daryl Watch said Friday.

Watch has worked at the refinery for 36 years and his main concern is the move to take away the surviving spouse benefit in the pension.

“I work at a refinery; I’m not living until I’m 80 or 90,” he said. “It would be nice to hit 80, but it’s more important that I would be able to take care of my wife when I’m not here, and that pension that we currently have would have done that.”

Unifor leaders announced Thursday they would be willing to discuss the pension plan if Co-op returned to the bargaining table — a switch from the union’s stance from the start of the dispute.

From his perspective, Watch said the union’s willingness to move on that requirement to return to talks puts the pressure back on the company.

“I think if we moved and said we removed that to get back to the table, and they’re not willing to go back to the table, I guess that would indicate to me and anybody in the public that’s listening or actually following this that obviously the company has a different agenda,” Watch said.

As for the company’s followup demand that Unifor take down the fences barricading the refinery, Watch believes they would come down if the company was truly ready to bargain.

“If they went there today and they really genuinely wanted to strike a deal, not only would the fences come down, but I’d be working on Monday,” he said.

Fellow Local 594 member Paul Woit described the company’s demand about the fences as a power play by Co-op.

“There comes a point when it’s not about money, (it’s) not about pensions and it’s not about anything other than simply power,” Woit said. “I think that’s what this Co-op wants to do. They want to express how much power they have and we will just adhere to whatever they say.”

Woit said when the union was willing to drop the requirement that the company never touch pensions in bargaining, it showed Unifor wants to go back to the table and talk.

“Then they said, ‘Ok, now you guys are illegally having blockades. Now you guys have got to remove that and let business go back to usual,’ ” Woit said.

“Yeah, they would go back to the table and stall and stall like they did during mediation. They stalled for a month and during that month they built their replacement worker camp. Is that fair bargaining in good faith? I don’t think so.”

Woit is also getting close to retirement but hopes to hold out for another three years until his sons finish university. He is also very concerned about potential changes to his pension.

“Financially it’s a hit, it’s a big hit and it would really change our life and my wife’s life,” Woit said, pointing to the survivor benefit as a major issue.

Woit said making sure his wife is financially secure when he’s gone is important to him.

In the midst of all the escalation, Woit said he knows there are a lot of people in the community who are upset with Unifor’s actions.

“There are some people that are upset with me,” he said. “You know what? The analogy is like the little kid going, ‘Mom, Mom, Mom, Mom.’ Yes, we’re annoying , but hopefully you forgive us when this is all said and done and let bygones be bygones.”

Unifor looks to spread its message

On Friday, Unifor members headed to Regina City Hall, saying they’d like to meet with Mayor Michael Fougere in hopes of finding a solution.

Unifor’s @JerryPDias and @Unifor594 would like to meet with @MayorFougere to see if we can find a solution to the 50 day lockout at @CoopRefinery We are outside and we are a friendly bunch. #canlab pic.twitter.com/ZFALZg2HoG

— Unifor (@UniforTheUnion) January 24, 2020

Fougere previously has said he won’t take sides in the dispute, but he does want to see the sides resume negotiations.

As well, Unifor representatives were at a Co-op facility in Carseland, Alta.

The #BoycottCoop campaign continues to grow in the west. @gavinmcgarrigle, #Unifor Western Regional Director, leads a team of activists from across Canada who’ve assembled in Carseland to chat with Albertans about rogue execs at greedy @CoopFCL. #canlab #abpoli #skpoli #cdnpoli pic.twitter.com/ZMyhKIEs6d

— Unifor (@UniforTheUnion) January 24, 2020