Members of UFCW Local 1400 and supporters rally outside the Federated Co-op Limited headquarters in Saskatoon, Sask. on Dec. 20, 2018. (Chris Vandenbreekel/650 CKOM)

Saskatoon Co-op workers vote to end strike

Apr 17, 2019 | 8:36 AM

After over five months on the picket lines, striking Saskatoon Co-op employees will be returning to work Sunday.

Members of United Food and Commercial Workers (UFCW) Local 1400 voted 54 per cent in favour Tuesday on a deal brokered over the weekend between union negotiators and management.

Director of Negotiations Rod Gillies said he’s pleased with the result.

He said the focus can now turn on helping the company earn back the public’s trust.

“Everybody knows there’s a certain amount of animosity surrounding labour disputes,” said Gillies. “This is a time for healing.”

The seven-year deal includes a two-tier wage scale, which had been the central issue behind the strike. The measure allows Co-op to hire new workers on at a lower pay scale than current employees.

The deal does, however, include a mechanism that would reduce the wage gap in years where the Saskatoon Co-op is more successful.

Workers will also get two per cent raises each year under the new agreement.