Mediator appointed for weekend talks
CALGARY (Reuters) — Workers at the 130,000-barrel-per-day Co-op Refinery Complex in Regina, Sask., could go out on strike by the end of March after pay and pension negotiations with management broke down, a union representative said on Tuesday.
The oil refinery is a wholly owned subsidiary of Federated Co-operatives Ltd and has about 800 unionized employees represented by Unifor.
Kate McKinley, a Unifor national representative, said Co-op was trying to degrade pensions for new employees, introduce two-tiered wages in some parts of the refinery and hire more non-union contractors.
The previous collective agreement between the union and Co-op expired in January 2016 and bargaining over a new agreement stalled earlier this year.
A mediator has been appointed and the two parties have another round of talks scheduled on Saturday and Sunday. If those fail, the mediator will submit a report to the provincial Ministry of Labour, after which there would be a 14-day cooling-off period before the union can give 48 hours' notice of strike, McKinley said.
"We would prefer to get a deal, but if not, we have to prepare for all options," she said.
Co-op spokesman Brad DeLorey said the company remained committed to the mediation process.
"The Co-op Refinery Complex is disappointed that Unifor has chosen to bargain in the media while collective bargaining is still under way," he added.
