Rent reduced for Riders, early budget items approved by Regina Council
6h ago
Council retroactively slashed $1.33 million in rent owed by the Roughriders.
The union representing employees at the Co-op Refinery Complex says it has accepted the recommendations of a mediator — a move that could end the lockout at the Regina facility.
In a media release Friday, Unifor said it will be encouraging its members to accept the deal proposed by mediator Vince Ready. The Local 594 bargaining committee is to present the details of the proposal over the coming days to the union members, who then are to vote on it electronically on Monday.
The company locked out employees Dec. 5 after they filed strike notice.
“To be clear, our committee is not thrilled with the final report and the significant changes that are recommended,” Unifor national president Jerry Dias said in a media release.
“We have been trying to find a solution since we were locked out … It is time to end this dispute and have our members running the refinery in these unprecedented times.”
Ready presented his recommendations to the parties and to the provincial government on Thursday. The dispute has been centred around the employees’ pension plan.
“We are in the midst of a global pandemic, and life for everyone grows more uncertain with each passing day,” Local 594 president Kevin Bittman said in the union’s release. “We all need some sense of stability back in our lives and this deal provides exactly that.
“This deal should end this dispute, as it gives the company what they said they needed. We are urging the company to accept the special mediator’s recommendations as we have. Anything less would be irresponsible.”
In a statement Sunday, the Co-op Refinery Complex said it could not accept all of Ready’s recommendations and would need to make modifications.
The refinery also noted due to current oil prices, it was in a much different financial situation than when negotiations first began.