Unifor, Co-op Refinery Complex to resume bargaining Friday
Heidi Atter | CBC News | Posted: January 30, 2020 3:55 PM | Last Updated: January 30, 2020
Return to table conditional on Unifor removing all barricades, refinery says
Unifor and the Co-op Refinery Complex are heading back to the bargaining table more than 55 days after workers at the facility were locked out.
The refinery announced Thursday morning that the two parties are set to meet Friday.
The labour dispute began escalating in early December. Unifor issued a 48-hour strike notice on Dec. 3. About 800 workers were locked out by the Regina refinery on Dec. 5.
Unifor members began picketing the refinery. A court injunction in late December limited them to holding up vehicles for a maximum of 10 minutes.
On Jan. 20, Unifor barricaded every entrance to the refinery. The refinery called the blockades illegal. Fourteen people were arrested and charged with offences police said were unrelated to the court order.
Since then, Unifor said it has taken down some of the blockades to allow for emergency vehicles to enter the refinery if needed. On Jan. 29, Unifor said it will comply with the court injunction if Federated Co-operatives Limited agreed to bargain in good faith.
On Thursday, the refinery said formal bargaining discussions would resume on Friday, January 31. The refinery said in a statement that the meeting will be held on the understanding that Unifor will follow the court injunction, allowing "all vehicles" entry and exit from the Co-op Refinery Complex.
Unifor said negotiations are set to begin at 9 a.m. CST in Regina. The union said it will still have people walking picket lines and blocking places in Carlyle and Winnipeg, as removing those blockages was not a condition to resume bargaining.
"We're hoping to get a deal at the table tomorrow," Kevin Bittman, local Unifor 594 president, said. "That's where this dispute is going to end."
The Co-op Refinery Complex said it will not be releasing further details while the bargaining process continues. Unifor also said no other information will be released until a tentative agreement is reached or talks break off without a deal.
Rally held at Saskatchewan Legislature
Unifor hosted a rally at the Saskatchewan Legislature on Thursday at noon. Unifor said it was to tell Premier Scott Moe to watch what was going on with the dispute. Moe sent a letter last week encouraging both sides to return to the table.
Doherty said if talks break down, the province should get involved.
"Show some leadership and impose binding arbitration and end this shameful lockout," Doherty said at the Thursday rally, intending to speak to Moe.
"We haven't actually formally asked him," Doherty said after the rally. "It's still a message to the premier that we want him to watch and he has the power to end this."
The province previously told CBC that both parties need to agree to binding arbitration for the government to implement it. The province also previously said it had not received a formal request for assistance from Unifor.