Co-op and striking employees set to resume bargaining

Striking Moose Jaw Co-op workers started a third week on the picket line Tuesday after they rejected the latest offer from the Moose Jaw Co-op Association Ltd. on Oct. 6.

The 130 local employees of UFCW (United Food and Commercial Workers) 1400 went on strike on Oct. 2 with the aim of securing better wages for a second tier of employees in their next contract. After negotiating into the night on Friday, the UFCW bargaining committee brought an offer to its membership -- including some Co-op employees who had crossed the picket line and returned to work -- for a vote the following day. “We want to let our customers know that we’re keeping our doors open to serve you, and we appreciate your patience as we work toward an agreement that balances the needs of all employees with the long-term viability of your Co-op,” said Gerry Onyskevich, general manager of the Moose Jaw Co-op in a press release. “For more than 70 years, we’ve been a part of the Moose Jaw community. To make sure we can serve you for many more years, we need a deal that’s both fair for our employees and allows us to be competitive in the long-term.”

The Co-op said that they have proposed to increase wages in the previous agreement by two per cent per year for four years.

After the UFCW 1400 membership rejected the offer, management offered to return to the bargaining table on Friday, Oct. 19.

UFCW 1400 have said that employees in the second tier of the wage grid make less for equal work. That second tier was created in 2014, when Moose Jaw’s Co-op and UFCW agreed to a new adjusted wage scale that would apply to newly hired employees. Co-Op management asserts that this two-tiered system is common in the retails industry and that their wages are as good, if not better, than their retail competitors.

Rod Gillies, director of negotiations for UFCW 1400, noted that the union membership accepted that that back in 2014.

“Back in 2014, there were no employees on the second tier before that vote,” Gillies said. “Presently, these employees have names and faces and are now co-workers of the employees on the first tier. The membership is taking job action and stand in solidarity to give these ‘second tier’ employees a voice -- as well as any new hires in the future.”

Gillies said that 78 per cent of the employees on their lower wage grid are women, though the split of the bargaining unit is close to an even split of men and women. He also added that there is no mechanism in place for employees in the second tier to move into the primary wage grid.

The Co-op asserts that the wages from the previous collective agreement are already considerably higher OTTAWA _ Employer and labour groups say the Trudeau Liberals aren’t planning to roll out any new workplace impairment rules for federally-regulated workers once cannabis is legalized next week.

Employers on the federally-struck committee wanted new labour code rules to provide detailed guidance to businesses on their and their employees’ responsibilities after legalization.

A joint employer-worker group spent the last two years debating potential changes to the federal labour code but ended up split over whether to allow for mandatory drug and alcohol testing starting Oct. 17.

Private sector employers say they are frustrated the Liberals haven’t given a mean-

© 2018 The Canadian Press than those of their competitors. They added that all new clerks hired by Moose Jaw Co-op under the existing second tier in the previous agreement can eventually earn up to $18.94 an hour, more than 20 per cent higher than if they were hired into a similar position with other local competitors who are also represented by the local UFCW 1400 union.

“We are an inclusive workplace and treat all our employees with respect,” Onyskevitch said. “On average, women at Moose Jaw Co-op earn more than their male colleagues, which makes the accusations on discriminatory pay against women unfounded.”

The Co-op added that they believe their compensation package, which includes wages, benefits, pension and more is offered to all eligible employees and is “among the best in Moose Jaw’s retail industry” per a press release.

“In response to claims regarding retail competitors, the membership feel that ‘finding the lowest common denominator’ in respect of employees’ wages, is not what the Co-op is all about,” said Gillies.

The Co-op’s four Moose Jaw locations remain open while employees picket on site.

“We have not locked employees out and are encouraging and welcoming employees crossing the picket line who would like to continue working,” Onyskevitch said. ingful response to concerns about an increased workplace safety risk once cannabis is legalized.

Labour groups say existing labour code rules around impairment should suffice unless there is ample evidence that workers are showing up high and creating a safety risk. The Liberals appear ready instead to focus efforts on education and awareness campaigns, details of which federal officials are expected to outline today.