Advertisement 1

Saskatoon Co-op employees 'skeptical' about plan to rebuild trust: union

UFCW Local 1400 says Saskatoon Co-op employees have filed more than 75 grievances since an acrimonious strike ended in April.

Article content

Saskatoon Co-op employees are skeptical about how the new chair of the co-operative’s board plans to rebuild trust given that tensions remain almost half a year after an acrimonious strike was settled, according to their union.

Graham Addley, who was elected to lead the board after the sudden departure of its former chair in July, told the Saskatoon StarPhoenix earlier this month he wants to improve communication and build a healthy work environment.

Advertisement 2
Story continues below
Article content

Addley, who is a former Saskatchewan NDP cabinet minister, and two other board members said in separate interviews that while earning employees’ trust is imperative, it will likely take months or years to accomplish.

Article content

United Food and Commercial Workers Local 1400 spokesman Rod Gillies said that is a “good message,” but noted a large number of grievances filed since the strike ended in April suggest working conditions remain poor.

He said more than 75 have been filed, the majority of which allege punitive scheduling, discrimination, and harassment of senior employees who walked the picket line. Citing privacy issues, Gillies declined to provide copies of the grievances.

“We remain skeptical because those numbers do not coincide with that mandate of the board,” Gillies said in an interview, adding that there are also 14 outstanding unfair labour practice complaints addressing both sides’ actions.

“Hopefully (Addley) with his message is going to give a clear message to the management team, to start rebuilding trust with the employees … (and) to ensure their management team toes the line of this mandate,” Gillies added.

Advertisement 3
Story continues below
Article content

A spokeswoman for Saskatoon Co-op said its chief executive, Grant Wicks, was unavailable for an interview on Monday. Saskatoon Co-op did not immediately respond to a request for a written response in lieu of an interview.

The strike began Nov. 1 after UFCW Local 1400 objected to a proposal that would have created a lower wage tier for new hires. It ended in April when the union narrowly approved a contract that included a modified version of the proposal.

Gillies said the union has no comment on a letter, authored by a spokesman for the group Co-op Members for Fairness, calling for the resignations of all of Saskatoon Co-op’s directors, except those who were elected at a contentious annual meeting this summer.

Former board chair Grant Whitmore, who was criticized by some for his handling of the strike, quietly resigned from the post in July.

amacpherson@postmedia.com
twitter.com/macphersona

Recommended from Editorial
  1. Saskatoon Co-op is still struggling with the aftermath of a five-and-a-half-month strike.
    New Saskatoon Co-op board chair says he's eager to rebuild trust
  2. Federated Co-operatives Limited executive vice president Vic Huard.
    FCL 'disappointed' by Calgary Co-op's decision to pull food purchasing
  3. Saskatoon Co-op CEO Grant Wicks addresses the co-op's annual meeting in Saskatoon, SK on June 20, 2019. (Alex MacPherson/ Saskatoon StarPhoenix)
    Grassroots group elated after success at tense Saskatoon Co-op meeting
  4. Bitterness lingers from the Saskatoon Co-op strike, settled earlier this year after lasting nearly half a year.
    Rancour from bitter Saskatoon Co-op strike continues; retired law prof calls for resignations
  5. Saskatoon Co-op employees have been on strike since Nov. 1 over a proposal that would create a lower wage tier for new hires.
    Saskatoon Co-op employees vote for deal to end strike
Article content
Comments
You must be logged in to join the discussion or read more comments.
Join the Conversation

Postmedia is committed to maintaining a lively but civil forum for discussion. Please keep comments relevant and respectful. Comments may take up to an hour to appear on the site. You will receive an email if there is a reply to your comment, an update to a thread you follow or if a user you follow comments. Visit our Community Guidelines for more information.

Latest National Stories
    This Week in Flyers