More than 400 workers in Saskatchewan have informed Viterra of their intention to strike if their concerns aren’t met by the afternoon of Jan. 5.
“This strike notice provides for time for the company to come back to negotiations and address members concerns,” said Steve Torgerson, general secretary of the Grain and General Services Union (GSU), in a Jan. 2 news release.
Yesterday, the union issued Viterra a 72-hour notice that they intend to strike as early as 2:00 pm on Jan. 5.
GSU members from Viterra Country Operations and Maintenance and Viterra’s Regina head office have been negotiating for “fair wages, improved work-life balance, and workplace respect,” for more than a year, the union said. The two unions represent 436 workers, Viterra Canada said in a Jan. 2 news release.
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Union members voted “overwhelmingly” to reject Viterra’s final offer, a Dec. 15 news release from GSU said, citing a lack of real wage increases.
Both parties are scheduled to resume bargaining today and tomorrow with a government appointed mediator, Viterra said in the Jan. 2 statement.
Viterra may consider a lockout if an agreement can’t be reached, the company said.
“We are committed to the collective bargaining process and remain cautiously optimistic that we will be able to arrive at an agreement with the GSU”, said Jordan Jakubowski, Viterra Canada’s vice president of human resources.
The company has contingency plans in place to minimize disruptions to customers, the statement said.
—Geralyn Wichers is associate digital editor of AGCanada.com. She writes from southeastern Manitoba.
