Locked out refinery workers take pickets to FCL headquarters

Upwards of 400 Unifor workers waving flags and holding signs held a demonstration in Saskatoon on Thursday to call for an end to the six-month lockout for refinery workers in Regina.

Holding signs reading “locked out,” hundreds of workers walking on sidewalks formed a picket with dozens of vehicles blaring horns in downtown Saskatoon at the Federated Co-op Limited building on the corner of Fourth Avenue and 22nd Street.

Traffic in the area halted to a standstill for a few hours before members of the local Unifor 594 dispersed to other Co-op locations to continue the demonstration.

Driver trying to leave the Federated Co-op building in downtown #Saskatoon is having a tough time getting out of the parking lot as locked out Unifor workers do their best to get in the way. #yxe pic.twitter.com/Wr1iVMQlzz

— Keenan Sorokan (@KeenanSorokan) June 4, 2020

Unifor 594 president Kevin Bittman said the public display is the latest effort to return to work.

“We’ve given them every concession that they’ve wanted but we’re still locked out,” he said.

Federated Co-op Communications Manager Cam Zimmer said the union has “certainly been active this week.”

Over the last few weeks, pickets began popping up in rural bulk fuel locations, cardlocks and retail locations across the province in an effort to disrupt services for farmers. To date, Zimmer estimates the union has been picketing at more than 20 places.

“Unifor had made statements about impacting the fuel supply for farmers during spring seeding, but we’ve been able to maintain the fuel supply to producers across Western Canada as spring seeding draws to a close,” Zimmer said.

Friday will mark six months since 730 workers at Regina’s Co-op Refinery Complex were locked out after the two sides failed to come to terms on a new agreement. Changes to the employee pension plan is at the centre of the labour dispute, but many other issues have hampered negotiations in recent weeks.

“They asked us to pay into our pension, we gave them that. They asked us for money out of our savings plan, we gave them that. Really, what it comes down to is they want to fire 80 to 100 people, and we’re not going to take that. We’re all going back to work like they locked us out — altogether,” Bittman said.

At one point, locked out workers blocked access to the refinery, resulting in fines and charges. A special mediator was then appointed by the province to oversee bargaining, but a resolution could not be reached.

“They’ve made statements about compromises being made. FCL has made compromises throughout bargaining, including accepting the majority of recommendations made by the special mediators in our best and final offer,” Zimmer said.

With a final offer on the table, Zimmer is hoping that Unifor will return to the bargaining table soon.

“In the midst of a tough economy and even tougher energy sector, they chose to reject a total compensation package that’s better than all other refineries in Canada,” he said. “The fact of the matter is they do have another choice. They can still choose to revisit and accept our best and final offer.”

Bittman wasn’t so sure other compromises couldn’t be reached.

“Collective bargaining is all about a compromise and trying to get a deal,” Bittman said. “For us, until we get that guarantee that no one is going to be fired, we’re not going anywhere.”

“730 were locked out and 730 should return to work.”