Getting back to work tough after bitter strike
COVID-19, presence of contract workers have hindered return to normal at CRC
Saturday marks one year since workers were first locked out of the Co-op Refinery Complex (CRC) and though a new collective agreement has been struck, a return to normalcy is still pending for many.
Nathan Kraemer, president of Unifor Local 594, has worked at the refinery for 13 years. After spending time along picket lines, he knew the return would be tough.
“Coming back in, people were apprehensive. We didn't know what to expect but we knew things would be different,” said Kraemer. “It was rocky coming back.”
Gil Le Dressay, vice-president refinery operations for Federated Co-operatives Ltd. (which owns the refinery), agreed that getting back to normal takes some time.
“Everybody has to heal. We were a team before the event, and even during the event, and we're a team after the event,” said Le Dressay.
Le Dressay said the refinery currently employs around 650 workers.
To handle COVID-19 measures, the company is trying to limit the number of people on site at a time, and with the downturn in oil demand and prices, the refinery is still running 25 per cent below its capacity. That means churning out 90,000 barrels of oil a day instead of 120,000.
“There's been demand destruction throughout the world due to the pandemic,” said Le Dressay.
Twelve refinery employees have tested positive for COVID-19 since Aug. 30, though none of the workers contracted the virus at the CRC according to Le Dressay.
Kraemer said the pandemic has changed work the CRC, but so has the presence of contractors working on site despite laid off Local 594 members.
“We've always had contractors; there's never been layoffs at the same time as there's contractors,” said Kraemer.
About 30 workers are still laid off, but at the height of layoffs there were approximately 80 people out of work.
While both sides say it's important to bury the hatchet and move forward together, Kraemer said that's hard to do for workers when they are being investigated for what took place during the lockout.
“The company is still going forward with investigations of our members related to the lockout, activities related to the lockout,” said Kraemer. He claimed four workers had been fired as a result of the investigations. Le Dressay would not comment on the investigations or confirm if anyone had been fired.
On Dec. 5, 2019 after a breakdown in contract negotiations the CRC locked out Local 594 workers after an affirmative strike mandate vote. The breakdown can be attributed to several issues but pensions remained a keystone issue throughout the lockout. An issue the union would eventually concede.
A deal was struck on June 19, 196 days after the lockout began.
Kevin Bittman, former president of Unifor Local 594, left the job after a contract was secured.
For the sake of future negotiations and cohesion, Bittman said he didn't think it made sense for him to return to the CRC.
“For the local and myself I thought it was best that I step aside,” he said.
Most of the trailers used to house contract workers during the dispute are being moved off site. Once a flashpoint in the dispute, the housing was used during a truncated turnaround this summer.
A full turnaround scheduled for this year has been deferred until 2022.