Union to Review Viterra Contract Offer

With a strike deadline looming, officials representing Saskatchewan Viterra workers will be mulling another final offer from the company this morning. 

A brief statement released late Thursday might by the Grain and General Services Union said a meeting with the elected officers of Locals 1 and 2 – which represent more than 400 Viterra workers - will be held at 9:30 am local time to review the details of the latest contract proposal. 

In a bid to stave off a labour disruption, the two sides in the dispute met Wednesday and continued bargaining well into the night on Thursday. 

The GSU has already served Viterra with a 72-hour strike notice, meaning a strike could begin as early as this afternoon. Viterra has said it may also consider locking employees out if a new contract agreement cannot be reached. 

Union members rejected a previous final offer from the company back in November and subsequently voted ‘overwhelmingly’ in favour of strike action. 

Key stumbling blocks in the negotiations – which have continued for more than a year - include wages, health and safety, and work-family balance.      

Any strike or lockout would impact the company’s Saskatchewan country operations, including grain procurement and the loading of grains for export. Workers in Viterra’s Regina headquarters are also eligible to strike.   

In the event of a strike or lockout, Viterra said this week it has contingency plans in place to minimize disruptions to its customers. Any changes to location hours, or operations will be communicated, it added.    

Ian Boxall, president of the Agricultural Producers Association of Saskatchewan (APAS), said any potential Viterra labour problem would have a major impact on producers in the province.