Labour leader in refinery lockout moving on
Local 594 boss leaves job, hopes workers can rebuild relationship with company
The man who led more than 700 refinery workers though a gruelling dispute with the Co-op Refinery Complex (CRC) is leaving his position at the plant and with the union.
Kevin Bittman, president of Unifor Local 594, said he is done at the plant. In a text message exchange with the Leader-post, he said there is already a replacement for his role as president of the local.
He expressed hope that his departure would make it easier for his colleagues as they head back to the job over the coming weeks.
“It is time for the workers to get back in the plant and that is all that matters,” he said Wednesday.
“The company made no secret what they thought of me when they came after me during the lockout,” Bittman added. “Now that it is over, it is time for building back the relationship and I am not sure (that) can be done with me in the picture.”
Bittman headed Unifor Local 594 for 13 years. He has worked at the CRC for more than 20 years, and was working as a master operator when the lockout began on Dec. 5.
He was a regular fixture at the Unifor demonstrations and protest actions that followed over the nearly seven-month struggle that followed. It ended with a vote ratifying a seven-year deal with the company on Monday.
He even ended up facing contempt of court allegations due to his forceful speeches, though he was found not guilty by a court in February.
Bittman said he will simply take the summer off before deciding what’s coming next in his life. He said whatever he does next will be focused on “trying to better the environment for people that work in this province.”
He said he’s currently feeling well, despite the pressures of the long battle with the company.
“Life sometimes takes us in different directions,” he said. “You can dwell on the past or embrace life and look at the future.”