The offer staves off potential job action from the union and a potential lockout from the company as both are in a position to do so.
After a long two days of bargaining, job action for Viterra workers in Saskatchewan does not appear imminent as workers are set to vote on a new final offer.
Grain and General Services Union (GSU) Locals 1 and 2, comprised of Viterra workers in Saskatchewan, are voting on the company’s second final offer, issued on Thursday. This came following “extensive negotiations that continued into the evening” according to a release from the union. “The first Final Offer in these negotiations was rejected by our members in November 2023,” the release continued.
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The company said it may consider a lockout “in the event an agreement cannot be reached,” a news release issued Tuesday said.
GSU Local 1 and 2 workers will be “working to rule during the ratification process” according to the union, meaning they will work to the exact specifications of their contract language and nothing more.
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In its communication, the union said “Local 1 and 2 elected officers decided that the company’s January Final Offer was different enough from the November Final Offer that members should decide on it for themselves.”
An emailed statement from the company received Friday outlined part of their current offer.
“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 for Viterra Canada.
The email goes on to explain the offer is for a four-year contract which would see an overall salary increases of 4.5 per cent in the first year, then a 3.75 per cent increase in year two, a 2.5 per cent increase in years three and four.
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Local 1 represents operations and maintenance workers, while Local 2 represents workers at the company’s head office in Regina.
GSU’s general secretary Steve Torgerson said leading up to the bargaining this week, which saw a federally appointed mediator at the table, the rank and file wanted to send a message about their patience and willingness to enact job action.
“We’ve been doing this for over a year,” Torgerson said earlier this week. “We told them we were only going to give them so long to come back and bargain with us.”
With the company’s salary increase offer, it seems to hope to reach an agreement between the two parties.
On Thursday, a communications person from the company said in an emailed statement “Viterra has contingency plans in place to minimize disruptions both at our Regina office and at our grain elevators.”
Bargaining between the company and the union started Nov. 16, 2022. Before the final sit-down on Thursday, their last meeting occurred on Nov. 15, 2023 as part of conciliation.
Throughout the protracted bargaining process both sides have maintained their desire to reach an agreement, preventing job action.
In a press release issued earlier this week Jakubowski said “We are committed to the collective bargaining process and remain cautiously optimistic that we will be able to arrive at an agreement with the GSU.”
Still, as voting takes place the company said it “will closely monitor the union’s actions leading up to vote, and will strongly consider implementing a lockout should the union take any action that disrupts the company’s business activities between now and then.”
GSU Locals 1 and 2 represent 436 workers in Saskatchewan.
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