CROSSING A PICKET LINE
Worker shuns Co-op strike
Keesan Corey spent two days on the picket line after his union voted to strike late last year. Then he called his manager and said he wanted to go back to work.
Corey, a 19-year-old business student from just outside Delisle, Sask., is among the 205 workers Saskatoon Co-op says have crossed the picket line since the strike began Nov. 1.
In an interview this week, the three-year co-op employee said his motivation for crossing the line and risking discipline from his union was not, as a local expert said is commonly the case, financial.
Instead, Corey said he decided to take off his United Food and Commercial Workers Local 1400 bib because he felt more connected to the co-operative than the union, and wasn’t happy with how the strike played out.
“Picketing for the few days I did, I saw more and more that the union’s values didn’t align with what the company is trying to get at,” Corey said, referring to instances of “yelling” at customers crossing the line.
Corey said while he respects the union, he found conflict with customers jarring after working part-time at a Co-op gas station, a job he said he enjoys because of the gratification of helping people.
“It wasn’t right to me; it didn’t feel right at all,” he added.
Rod Gillies, a spokesman for UFCW Local 1400, said the union could not confirm that 205 of its members were working during the strike. He said to the best of his knowledge around 165 are currently working.
While striking workers are encouraged to “slow” traffic to communicate the issues and urge customers to shop elsewhere, they have been repeatedly encouraged to do so respectfully, Gillies added.
The UFCW local represents around 900 Saskatoon Co-op employees, who have been without a contract for more than two years and on strike for more than three months with little indication of an imminent resolution.
The labour dispute hinges on the co-operative’s desire to introduce a two-tier wage structure that would cap new hires’ maximum earnings at a rate below that of current employees.
Scott Walsworth, an associate professor of industrial relations at the University of Saskatchewan’s Edwards School of Business who also serves as a labour arbitrator, said he sees merit in both sides’ arguments.
The co-operative regards the two-tier structure as necessary in a competitive industry where passing on labour costs is not an option, while the union regards it as a “fundamental attack” on its future solidarity, Walsworth said.
Corey said he believes the co-operative’s position is “fair” and its proposal “among the highest” in the sector. At the same time, he acknowledged that he might feel differently if his own wages were at stake rather than the wages of future staff.
“In the end, I still would have made the same decision. It’s the company’s values that mean the most to me,” Corey said.
He may face consequences for his decision to cross the picket line. Unions have the power to discipline or even expel members — a decision that under Saskatchewan law would force the employer to fire the employee.
While the latter is rare, and possibly unheard of in Saskatchewan, picket line crossers can typically expect an “unhappy reception” when the strike is settled and employees who chose to picket return to work, Walsworth said.
At the same time, “in certain situations maybe, (unions) can understand why people have crossed. I mean, if going without an income means you’re going to lose your home … there may be some understanding,” he added.
Gillies said no decisions have been made about what action the union might take once the strike is settled.
“I don’t make any judgments about people’s personal situations, and why they make the decisions they do. Everybody’s entitled to their opinion and … unions are a very democratic body. That preserves everybody’s rights to make their own decisions,” he said.
“I would remind the individuals who are working for the co-op that it’s those people outside that are walking in the 40 below temperatures that the people inside get to take advantage of,” Gillies added.
Corey said while he understands there may be “some tension” once the strike is settled — likely from employees unhappy about fighting for the rights of those who kept working — he plans to keep his job.
It remains unclear, however, when that will happen, as there has been little movement on either side — despite both the union and management stating repeatedly that they desire a settlement to end the job action.
Walsworth said while he believes Saskatoon Co-op has already extracted a major concession from the union, which has agreed in principle to a two-tier structure, the strike continues for two main reasons.
On one hand, UFCW Local 1400 is extremely well-funded, meaning it can continue delivering strike pay, while on the other the co-operative may be looking for additional concessions as the strike drags on, he said.
However, “the Trojan horse is through the gate,” he added in reference to the union’s offer.
Picketing for the few days I did ... the yelling (at customers crossing the line) wasn’t right to me; it didn’t feel right at all.