‘Stuck in the middle’: Refinery labour tiff hits home for truckers

As the labour fight at Regina’s Co-op oil refinery continues into its first full week, it’s affecting people beyond the bargaining table — including truckers and their kids.

Picketers are delaying third-party contractor semi truck drivers from entering and leaving the refinery an hour each way, which is delaying turnaround times for pickups up to 15 hours.

“They don’t get back home until midnight or something. They have their kids they’ve got to deal with, they can’t get them up for school, or they have to pay their babysitter,” said Mark, who regularly drives a rig in and out of the refinery.

980 CJME has agreed not to publish his last name or his company’s name, because he’s worried about losing his job.

The delays are forcing truckers into a waiting game they don’t want to play, leaving the Saskatchewan Trucking Association with safety fears.

Susan Ewart, the executive director of the association, said she has received a number of emails from frustrated drivers who are being delayed for hours. Some are on duty for more than the regulated 14-hour limit.

“They can only work so many hours a day. The legislation requires that and we want that for safety purposes. The safety aspect of it is a concern at this particular point,” she said.

Ewart said the truck drivers are not Co-op employees and are just trying to do their jobs.

The stress among drivers since the labour dispute started has been palpable, Mark said.

“It’s completely chaos,” he said. “You have no idea how long you’re going to wait. Once you get into the refinery, if you get in that day, you may not get out for 14, 15 hours. It’s just so stressful.”

Speaking with 980 CJME Thursday at noon, Mark said he didn’t expect his semi would be back on the road until sometime late Friday morning.

It’s forcing him to use the buddy system.

As he waits in line to get into the refinery, his partner driver, with whom he shares the rig, will take over sitting in the cab for him so he can pick up his son at 5 p.m.

“I’m a single father,” he said.

Other drivers aren’t as fortunate to have a partner with whom to switch.

“I had a guy last night, he got back (home) at midnight. He still had to pick his kid up from a friend’s house where she was staying at, get her to home and then into bed to hopefully get her to school today,” Mark said.

Once drivers with partners are ready to leave the refinery area, Mark said, Unifor picketers aren’t letting those partner drivers in to do the switch.

“If you’re stuck there for 20 hours, you’re stuck there for 20 hours. Nobody can relieve you,” he said.

There’s also the issue of lost pay, according to Ewart.

“Trucking companies and their drivers do not make money if the wheels are not turning. These are private companies and STA members that haul for Co-op and locking them down is having a negative impact,” she said.

In addition to lost revenue and decreased wages for drivers, industry regulation is coming into play.

“There are rules about how long drivers can be on duty. As they sit on the side of the road, the hours in which they can earn an income tick away. There is no wiggle room here: Once they are out of time, they are out of time and done for the day,” Ewart said.

For his part, Mark said he understands both sides — Unifor and Co-op management — involved in the labour dispute.

He just wants them to get a deal done, so drivers can get home to their kids on time.

“Us drivers are the ones that are really stuck in the middle here, trying to make things work and be neutral, and just trying to make a living for our families and put a roof over our head,” he said.

— With files from 980 CJME’s Andrew Shepherd