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A Saskatchewan-based trucking company fears a Western Canadian fuel shortage is on the horizon as the labour dispute continues at the Co-op refinery.
Last week, unionized refinery workers began picketing over pensions. They were locked out by the company following the union’s strike notice.
Since then, Mike Schick, the owner of K&M Trucking — which has had a contract with Federated Co-operatives Ltd. since 1976 — said the number of fuel loads leaving the plant has dwindled.
Schick claims trucks typically haul between 180 and 200 loads of fuel every day. By late this week, with picketers continuing to delay fuel trucks at the gate, he said it has turned into 20 to 30 loads.
On Friday, he warned the delivery slowdown could be detrimental — especially for small rural communities that have little to no backup tanks.
“Lots of times, small towns might only have one gas station and, chances are, the fuel comes out of the Regina refinery — whether that’s a Shell or a Co-op, for example,” Schick explained.
“We have a lot of places that take a load a day, so they might have storage on reserve for three days, but they can’t get away with no deliveries for a week, that’s for sure.”
Brad DeLorey, a spokesperson for the Co-op Refinery Complex, didn’t confirm the number of daily loads that usually leave the plant but noted that late this week it was around 50.
“We’re doing everything we can and we’re managing through this day to day to ensure that a number of our customers in all of Western Canada continue to get that fuel,” he said in an interview Friday afternoon.
DeLorey added the refinery’s still pursuing its options in regards to getting fuel trucks moving again — including a possible court injunction to stop picketers from blocking them.
As of Friday afternoon, Co-op said there hadn’t been any further negotiations with Unifor Local 594.
The union is set to make a “significant announcement about an escalation of the campaign for a fair deal” on Sunday.
Between the holiday season in full swing and truckers caught in the middle of the labour dispute, Schick stressed it’s crucial both sides come to an agreement.
“Everybody needs to sit down, find some common ground and get this thing resolved. The whole economy in general needs us to do what we’ve got to do,” he said. “Christmas is coming and there’s going to be a lot of travelling, and to go into that season with little or no storage in the tanks isn’t going to be good for anybody.”