Public supporters target Co-op gas station as union "cautiously optimistic" for mediator meetings
About a hundred people walked around and through a gas station in Regina on Monday. Organizers say it was meant for "Joe Public" to show support for locked out Unifor 594 members.
The labour dispute between the Co-op Refinery Complex and the union has been ongoing for months. Unifor members have been locked out of the Refinery since early December, after giving a 48 hour strike notice.
Earlier this month, Premier Scott Moe announced he would be appointing Vince Ready as a special mediator. Ready has 20 days to reach an agreement or give recommendations to each side.
Ready is set to begin his work Tuesday, February 18.
"Quite literally as long as we stand back and do nothing our community pays the price," Jason Moreside said. "So today we're just banding together as Joe Public to tell Co-op how we really feel."
Moreside is one of the people who organized the event and said he's been a Co-op member for at least six years. Moreside said the term "Joe Public" is meant to mean everyone and that they have no connection to the Co-op Refinery Complex or Unifor 594.
"Going into negotiations, we want Scott Banda [President of Federated Co-operatives Limited] to realize that he doesn't have the support that he portrays that he does," Moreside said. "We're making sure that he knows we don't support him."
When planning, Moreside said the organizers thought they'd maybe have a dozen or two people out. Around 100 to 150 attended the event.
Vehicles were allowed in and out of the gas station as people were walking around. People blocked them for a short amount of time before letting them through. Moreside said this was done out of respect.
"We support them in their choices. Everybody has an individual decision," Moreside said. "Ours is ours and that's fine."
Moreside said the union hasn't given them any support in planning the event. As well, Moreside said organizers gave police advance notice following negative comments toward their event online.
About 30 of the estimated 150 people were Unifor 594 members and some were picketing the gas station as usual when members of the public arrived, Unifor local 594 president Kevin Bittman said.
Bittman said the event shows the public support for Unifor going into negotiations. Bittman said he is "cautiously optimistic" that the two sides may reach a deal in the next 20 days of negotiations.
"Vince Ready is the best in the business," Bittman said. "If we can get a deal, it's him that going to get us one and if not, then we'll continue to do what we do and put economic pressure on the company."
Community relations are "fractured," will take time to heal: Bittman
Bittman said the community has been "fractured" during the lockout and the divide in the community makes it more important to find a deal.
"The faster we can get a deal, the faster we can get back to actually working together and building a team again. The faster we get back to making lots of money and having a workplace that people are proud of again," Bittman said.
If a deal is reached it will take some time to rebuild trust and relationships, he said.
"It takes a lot of work and if the company is willing to do that work, I'll tell you that the union, we're ready to do that work as well," Bittman said.
