Refinery won’t accept all of mediator’s recommendations

The lockout at the Co-op Refinery Complex (CRC) in Regina will go on for a while longer.

Unifor, the union that represents the workers at the refinery, announced Friday it was accepting the recommendations in the report by mediator Vince Ready and was going to encourage its members to vote in favour of the deal he proposed.

On Sunday, the company — which locked out employees Dec. 5 — issued a statement saying it was “unable to accept all aspects” of Ready’s report.

“(The company) will need to make modifications out of our responsibility to our employees, our co-op owners, our customers and the broader communities that depend on the long-term sustainability of the CRC,” the company said in its release.

“That said, the report does contain a number of helpful recommendations, which the CRC hopes will stand to move negotiations toward a resolution and a signed deal with Unifor 594.”

The refinery said the financial uncertainty created around the world by the COVID-19 virus has put the CRC in a different place than when negotiations began. It noted that the price of oil has dropped precipitously and, with people staying at home more, there is decreased demand for fuel.

“Like all businesses, the refinery is now reassessing how to manage through the financial turmoil,” the company said in its release. “As a company, we must consider how to reduce costs, delay capital spending, protect jobs and make decisions around cancelling projects that are no longer viable.”

The union wasn’t pleased with the company’s stance, saying it was “shocked” the CRC had turned down Ready’s proposal.

“(Federated Co-operatives Limited) CEO Scott Banda’s tactics get more disgusting by the hour,” Unifor national president Jerry Dias said in a media release.

“Western Canada needs a secure fuel supply and the skilled operation of the Regina refinery. Instead, Scott Banda wants to use a public health crisis as bargaining leverage on his own employees.”

The union claimed Ready’s recommendations called on workers to contribute up to eight per cent to their pensions — one of the main issues in the dispute.

Unifor said it once again will be calling on Premier Scott Moe to intervene. It previously had asked for binding arbitration to end the lockout, but the provincial government refused.

The company said it will be presenting Unifor with an offer “in the coming days.”