Unifor, FCL representatives to meet in Saskatoon

The sides in the labour dispute at the Co-op refinery were to meet face to face Monday.

During a rally outside the refinery, Scott Doherty — the executive assistant to Unifor national president Jerry Dias — said union representatives were scheduled to talk with Federated Co-operatives Limited CEO Scott Banda later Monday in Saskatoon.

“Local 594 made significant moves on Tuesday to try and resolve and end this dispute. That show of good faith has been ignored until today,” Doherty said while announcing the meeting to a cheering the crowd of supporters.

“(We’re meeting) in the hope that we can finally end this dispute and get a fair deal for our members and get our members back to work at this refinery.”

Doherty, Dias and Local 594 president Kevin Bittman were to represent Unifor at what was being called a private meeting.

“Hopefully that’s a good sign to putting an end to this lockout,” Bittman said.

The union noted Co-op has said it values the community of Regina, but Bittman said the company isn’t showing that with its actions during the dispute.

“Regina is fractured right now because of this lockout,” he said. “It has divided the community and, make no mistake, everyone needs this lockout to end.”

Bittman said the union was calling on Banda and Co-op to come to the table to show they really want a deal.

A media communications person from the refinery confirmed Banda was to have a private meeting with Dias and likely with Doherty and Bittman, too. He emphasized the meeting wouldn’t involve bargaining.

Co-op had demanded last week that the union take down fences at the refinery as a condition to returning to the bargaining table. The company has maintained the fences are illegal.

Doherty said Unifor has not agreed to take down the fences at this point.

“We’ll see what comes out of the meeting today, but at this point in time we’re staying where we’re at. We want to get to the bargaining table. We want to get a fair deal,” Doherty said.

He noted the fact Co-op was willing to have a conversation with Unifor leaders was a good sign and said they would see how it played out.

The refinery locked out unionized employees Dec. 5 after the union filed strike notice.

The dispute has featured — among other things — blockades of Co-op property in Regina and Weyburn, a proposed boycott of Co-op products, the arrests of 14 picketers, and a contempt of court ruling that resulted in the union being fined $100,000.

On Thursday, the union said it was removing its demands that the company not touch pensions in hopes of restarting negotiations. The company said it wouldn’t return to the bargaining table until Unifor removed the blockades — and that led to more posturing.

The announcement of Monday’s meeting may represent a thawing in the dispute.

— With files from 980 CJME’s Adriana Christianson