Union says Co-op refinery acting in bad faith by setting up work camp in case of strike

The Co-op refinery in Regina is creating on on-site work camp in preparation for a possible strike or labour disruption, but the union says this is an act of bad faith. 

In a statement on Tuesday, The refinery said trailers were going to start arriving to construct a work camp. The decision came after Unifor Local 594 declared an impasse in negotiations on September 26, the statement said. 

"These trailers serve as a precaution in the event we need to house our highly-trained management team and temporary contract workers in response to a possible labour disruption,"  Gil Le Dressay, vice president of refinery operations, said in the statement. 

Le Dressay said the main goal is to reach a "fair deal" with the union but that the refinery needs to prepare to safely operate if something happens. 

"Bringing trailers onsite is not something we want to do, but is something we have to do for the safety of our people and our community," Le Dressay said in the statement. 

The union responded to the statement via email, saying Unifor sees the construction of the camp as an act of bad faith during negotiations. 

"If they really care about 'the safety of our people and our community,' they would do whatever it takes to keep Unifor 594 members working," Unifor 594 president Kevin Bittman said in an email. 

"Camps for replacement workers are the opposite of good faith."

Unifor 594 represents more than 800 employees at the refinery. The sticking point for the union is pension choice and protection, Unifor said in a statement

After working with a mediator for two days, the union said there is no deal to be made. The union said the mediator gave the refinery time to look at the finances, but that the refinery is setting up a work camp instead. 

The refinery cannot shut down in the event of a strike because it runs 24/7, 365 days a year, Le Dressay said.