Viterra workers suspend strike to vote on new offer

Glacier Farmmedia –Saskatchewan Viterra employees have decided to suspend a previously-announced strike action while they vote on a new offer tabled yesterday.

Today, Grain and General Services Union workers employed by Viterra in Saskatchewan said they will vote on the grain handling company’s latest final offer over the next two weeks. Locals 1 and 2, representing country operations and head office staff, respectively, were set to walk out at 2 p.m. today if a deal had not been reached.

In a website post, GSU said the January final offer was different enough from the November final offer that members should decide for themselves.

The offer contains, among other things, salary increases over four years, beginning with a 4.5 percent increase retroactive to Jan. 1, 2023., followed by 3.75 percent Jan. 1, 2024, and 2.5 percent in the two subsequent years.

In a news release, Viterra noted that employees continue to be eligible for annual bonus payments under the company’s short-term incentive plan.

“We believe that we have provided an offer that is fair and reasonable, one that takes into account the needs of our employees, while balancing the needs of our business through long-term labour stability,” said Jordan Jakubowski, vice-president of human resources.

The voting period lasts until Jan. 19. Viterra said it will monitor the union’s actions leading up to the vote and would “strongly consider” a lockout if union action disrupts business.

The GSU gave 72-hour strike notice Jan. 2 after members rejected the then-final offer. Negotiations continued for the next two days with the help of a federally-appointed mediator and the most recent offer was tabled late Jan. 4.

The legal strike is not being called off, according to documents on the GSU website, but members will work to rule until the results are in.

A strike would have a “huge impact” on farmers’ cash flow, particularly those with contracts to sell crops to Viterra, said Ian Boxall, president of the Agricultural Producers Association of Saskatchewan.

Boxall said Viterra represents 27 per cent of Saskatchewan’s capacity at country elevators, the facilities that buy crops from farmers and transport them to processors and millers.

A strike would also back up grain transportation to British Columbia ports, which export much of Canada’s harvest, Boxall said. Canada is the world’s biggest exporter of canola and fourth-largest wheat exporter.

–Updated Jan. 5 to add comments from Ian Boxall.