After 14 arrests Monday, Unifor picketers erect fence at refinery Tuesday

The labour dispute at the Co-op refinery kicked up another notch Tuesday morning when Unifor members erected a fence barrier at the refinery’s Gate 7.

The barrier appeared formidable, with three layers of fencing stretching across the entire driveway, about a dozen vehicles parked in between the parallel fencing, and Unifor members marching in the space between with flags waving.

On Monday evening, Regina police arrested 14 people and charged them with mischief — among them, Unifor national president Jerry Dias. On Tuesday the fencing was erected on the same spot.

Scott Doherty, the executive assistant to Dias, said Tuesday the fence is there for safety.

“(There were) quite a few confrontations (Monday), so we set up the fence to protect our members and show that, like we said (Monday) night, this place is locked down,” Doherty said.

Police were on location with the lights on their cruisers flashing, but as of 7:30 a.m., Doherty said he hadn’t had any conversations with police.

Just after 10:30 a.m., the Regina Police Service released the names of the 14 people arrested Monday night.

Eight — including Dias — are residents of Ontario. Four of those charged are from B.C., and two are from Regina.

Dias was released from police custody overnight and, like the other 13, was instructed to appear in court on Feb. 26 on a mischief charge.

Dias spoke to the media later in the morning at a Co-op cardlock down the road from the refinery because one of his release conditions was to not come within 500 metres of the refinery.

“I’ve never seen a police department in any city in this country behave the way the Regina police did last night,” said Dias.

“This is the only police force that would even think about doing what they did last night. I’ve been walking picket lines for 40 years. Since I’ve been the national president of Unifor, we’ve had some major disputes but the police have always been respectful enough not to cross the line, and this police force did.”

He said the only reason police were on scene Monday night was to escalate things, and he said they acted like thugs and should be ashamed of themselves.

“I was arrested last night by an incredibly aggressive policeman … He was determined, he was going to get in my face, and was going to push me and he was going to arrest me,” said Dias.

On Monday, Dias said 500 Unifor members had flown in from other parts of the country, and Tuesday morning it was estimated another 250 had arrived to help. Later on Tuesday, Dias said more are coming in droves and they’re not going to back down.

Dias said he’s more determined now than he’s ever been.

“That’s not going to stop us — arresting me or charging me isn’t going to change anything,” he said.

In a media release, the police service said, “the law upholds the rights of the union to lawful protest; likewise, the law recognizes the company’s right to conduct business.

“On Monday, Jan. 20, 2020, police learned that Unifor members had completely blocked the entrances/exits to the Co-op Refinery Complex, not allowing vehicles to enter or exit the property, in spite of a recent court order which sets out the rules of engagement for both sides in the dispute.”

Doherty emphasized that “our members are resolved: We said we were here for ‘one day longer, one day stronger,’ and we’re going to stay here.”

The union wants the labour dispute resolved peacefully, he said.

Co-op VP responds

Federated Co-operatives Limited (FCL) executive vice-president Vic Huard applauded Regina police’s actions to enforce the court injunction.

Huard told Gormley on Tuesday that Unifor’s actions during the dispute have entered “uncharted territory of an external union coming in and basically interpreting the law as they see fit.”

“We’re a society based on the rule of law. And we’re simply asking that the rule of law be followed,” he said.

Huard said the company is considering all of its legal options, noting it was in court on Thursday for a contempt hearing. A decision hasn’t been issued yet.

Huard reiterated the company’s position that Unifor’s barricades are illegal and that an original court order handed down in December was clear and unequivocal.

That court decision, from Justice Janet McMurtry, said picketers could hold up each trucker for up to 10 minutes to provide information. However, the driver could also decline the information and proceed unimpeded.

Unifor maintains that it interprets the decision differently. On Monday morning, Dias said it only applied to Local 594, not the national union.

As the dispute has continued, refinery management have been operating the facility with replacement workers and flying in supplies by helicopter.

According to Huard, they have been doing so safely, “more safely now than ever before.” But he said the barricades erected by Unifor are a risk.

“It’s a refinery complex and if something were to happen at that plant, we need emergency access in and out. And right now we don’t have that access,” he said.

“This is an egregious act, quite frankly and it’s putting the safety of our employees and the community at risk. We think this is out of bounds.”

Huard agreed with Dias’s statement that a solution can only be found at the bargaining table. But he contends the company never left and there haven’t been meaningful conversations since the fall.

He said it is the union that is refusing to negotiate until Co-op promises to never change current defined benefit pensions.

“That’s not negotiations … That’s an ultimatum and no business is going to agree to that. It makes no sense,” he said.

NDP, Sask. Party weigh in

NDP Leader Ryan Meili sent a letter to Premier Scott Moe on Tuesday, asking the premier to urge the parties to return to the bargaining table.

Justice Minister Don Morgan replied later in the day, saying the government is monitoring the situation.

“Earlier today, I spoke with officials from both parties to communicate that the Government of Saskatchewan believes that the best agreements are reached at the bargaining table,” Morgan wrote. “I encouraged both sides to return to the bargaining table to reach an agreement. I also reinforced the government’s expectation that any action taken during the ongoing labour dispute be lawful and peaceful.”

Morgan added that the government is “concerned with the increasingly aggressive tactics being used” in the dispute, but was encouraged by the Regina police’s work in keeping the peace.

— With files from 980 CJME’s Lisa Schick and Joseph Ho