Coop refinery

[Oliver88]

I thought they were locked out?

You are correct. Unifor issues a 48 hour strike warning and FCL locked them out.

Story from their website below.







Co-op Refinery Complex responds to strike notice, moves to protect plant safety
December 3, 2019

The Co-op Refinery Complex (CRC) is disappointed that the Unifor 594 Executive chose to issue a 48-hour strike notice at 4:30 p.m. CST today.

“Our priority was to get a deal done at the bargaining table and avoid a labour disruption; however, that means that both sides must be willing to bargain,” said Gil Le Dressay, Vice-President of Operations at the CRC.

“However, because a 48-hour strike notice creates an unsafe operating environment for the Refinery, we have issued a 48-hour lockout notice effective 5:30 p.m. today. It is vital to the safety of our operation that we control the timeline of labour action as our highly-skilled management team assumes control of the Refinery’s operation. This also allows us to maintain a reliable supply of fuel to 170 local co-ops and their communities across Western Canada.”

The Refinery has put offers in front of the Unifor 594 Executive, however no counteroffer has been received. The CRC feels that it has put a fair offer in front of the Union but is willing to listen if Unifor chooses to bring a counteroffer forward and rescinds their strike notice.

“Our offer includes an 11.75 per cent raise over four years. The average CRC worker earns about $104,000 per year, so the proposed raise represents, on average, a more than $12,000 increase over the life of the contract,” said Le Dressay. “We’ve also included enhanced benefits options and access to our company performance plan, which is an annual incentive bonus based on the Company’s performance.”

In addition to increased wages, added benefits and a performance plan, CRC has given the Union a choice to remain in their current Defined Benefit (DB) Pension Plan or move to the Company’s industry-matching Defined Contribution (DC) Pension Plan. The one caveat to remaining in the DB plan is that the workers will now be required to contribute to it.

“Most CRC unionized workers, unlike most Canadians, have never had to contribute to their pension plan. Unfortunately, that just isn’t sustainable any longer and we have to ask them to at least contribute to their plan,” said Le Dressay. “We value all of our employees and the work they do, which is why they are among the best compensated workers in Western Canada. Our current offer includes an industry-matching wage increase, industry-matching pension options, and a new performance bonus option for our hourly team.”

[Horse]

So whos lying $104000 is a long way from $170000 ,still a very nice wage.

[Oliver88]

So whos lying $104000 is a long way from $170000 ,still a very nice wage.

Maybe nobody is lying.
The $104,000 is the average salary which doesn’t include benefits or the pension plan.
$170,000 average includes all benefits and pension plan I assume.

[Horse]

Do you supose anyone will ever tell the whole truth,I sure as hell doubt it.

[WiltonRanch]

Do you supose anyone will ever tell the whole truth,I sure as hell doubt it.

No one will cause when majority of Regina and province wide wouldn’t make half of $170000 potential support dries up.

[Guest]

Do you supose anyone will ever tell the whole truth,I sure as hell doubt it.

it was all caused by the oil patch , everyone said they had to match oilfield wages. but when the oil patch crashed and burned and dropped wages considerably for the ones lucky enough to be working , all these other business carried on as if nothing happened and now you have idiots who have completely lost touch with reality and demand an 11% wage increase . if these facts are true get them out where the public can see and fire the whole fu-cking works
interesting enough i ran lots of drilling rigs through a few boom and bust cycles and it was never the pot of gold that the public thought it was . the highest i saw a drillers wage was $50/hr , i doubt if its anywhere near that now. the only way they made BIG money was by working 84 hrs a week and getting paid overtime. and the minute the shit hit the fan , wages are cut , one time i was cut 30% in one go
To make even $150000/yr , you need to get $75/hr .think about that for a minute , and i bet the majority have no education. you can bet these whining bas-tards aren't working 84 hrs a week , and they're sleeping in their own bed every night , not in some camp 1000 miles from home in the bush
the last couple years i was there, you couldn't even get roughnecks anymore because they could get a lot more at places like this and be home overnight
time for a major reset when every second person thinks they are worth $75-$100/hr with a pair of boots , that the co is probably supplying

[bucket]

it was all caused by the oil patch , everyone said they had to match oilfield wages. but when the oil patch crashed and burned and dropped wages considerably for the ones lucky enough to be working , all these other business carried on as if nothing happened and now you have idiots who have completely lost touch with reality and demand an 11% wage increase . if these facts are true get them out where the public can see and fire the whole fu-cking works
interesting enough i ran lots of drilling rigs through a few boom and bust cycles and it was never the pot of gold that the public thought it was . the highest i saw a drillers wage was $50/hr , i doubt if its anywhere near that now. the only way they made BIG money was by working 84 hrs a week and getting paid overtime. and the minute the shit hit the fan , wages are cut , one time i was cut 30% in one go
To make even $150000/yr , you need to get $75/hr .think about that for a minute , and i bet the majority have no education. you can bet these whining bas-tards aren't working 84 hrs a week , and they're sleeping in their own bed every night , not in some camp 1000 miles from home in the bush
the last couple years i was there, you couldn't even get roughnecks anymore because they could get a lot more at places like this and be home overnight
time for a major reset when every second person thinks they are worth $75-$100/hr with a pair of boots , that the co is probably supplying

Good points...many oil field workers either lost their job or took substantial pay cuts or less hours to keep some pay coming in...


The refinery workers should be able to accept 5 percent and pension contributions by Federated....

They have good jobs , close to home but maybe that isn't enough ...and if it isn't then they should look for other work...

I doubt most of the refinery workers could leave their current job and find a $120000 job tomorrow or better yet retire and have a politician's pension...

I will say this....its arrogance on both parties...

[tweety]

They do understand the coop is pretty much owned by the same farmers through their memberships right, I say fire them all and replace them with people that want to work. Bet there are more than a few oil patch guys that need the work with all the required tickets that would be more than happy to step in.

You've never had much to do with unions it seems. As of Jan 2015, every worker in Canada has the right to be a part of a union.

It is extremely difficult to remove a union. You can't "fire them all".

[Guest]

can't they be locked out and hire replacement workers?
local coop was on strike for about 10 years , years ago , until they were just gone

[Maver]

I have a friend on the picket line. They make close to that 104 000 average. They do not support the strike. They were fine with the changes to the pension, just a few small things they didn't like. They know they make good money for the work they do. They said the union didn't make a real effort to negotiate before the lockout. The last think a union wants is a happy and content workforce. They start wondering why they are paying union dues.

[LEP]

So whos lying $104000 is a long way from $170000 ,still a very nice wage.

FCL makes a payment that equates to $66,000 a worker for their pension which is a defined benefit pension. These types of pensions are becoming very rare. The onus is on the plan and hence the employer to make sure they are actuarily sound. This type of pension guarantees a % of your best 5 year's salary. FCL pays all pension costs which are very expensive especially when salaries increase. Pretty much the entire country has moved away from these types of pensions except the federal and municipal governments. The province made a change in the early 80's. Very few companies can afford these pensions.

FCL is trying to move to a defined contribution pension sorta like an RRSP where they match your contribution and your pension is an annuity of the balance outstanding at your retirement. This plan doesn't have the risk of a periodic shortfall because of low market investment rates.

[furrowtickler]

Unions doing this while farmers will be taking a 30-40% hit in net incomes .
And they wonder why there is a rural / urban division.
I for one am sick of co-op strikes . There are many other places to get fuel and food .

[ajl]

Do have to account for the CPP and EI payroll taxes as well. The tax is 1.4x the EI deduction and matching the CPP here in AB. This defined benefit pension is one of the reasons stuff costs more at the coop and why all coops are doomed to disappear. We have a proposal to sell our REA to ATCO for the same reason and I hope this time it goes through. Last time it was 57% in favor buts needs 66% by law.

[Goodtime]

Well they can't fire the union employees, FCL would basically have to shut the refinery down permanently to get rid of them so we know that won't happen. FCL has very deep pockets and I don't imagine a striking worker gets a huge union pay check....FCL will choke them out eventually, mortgage payments, truck payments, sled payments, little Jimmy and Sally's hockey fees all add up without a pay check. Let's see how tough Unifor is on the picket line in 6 months.

[walterm]

I have a friend on the picket line. They make close to that 104 000 average. They do not support the strike. They were fine with the changes to the pension, just a few small things they didn't like. They know they make good money for the work they do. They said the union didn't make a real effort to negotiate before the lockout. The last think a union wants is a happy and content workforce. They start wondering why they are paying union dues.

Did they not vote in favor of a strike? Then FCL locked them out before they could go out.

If they are against strike why don't they just put on hard hat and go to work? I'm sure FCL will still pay them.