Justice limits delays at Co-op refinery picket line

A Queen’s Bench justice has ordered that picketers at the Co-op refinery can’t delay people waiting to get into or out of the facility for more than five minutes.

On Tuesday, Federated Co-operatives Limited (FCL) went to court to seek an injunction to limit picketing by Unifor 594 members at the refinery in north Regina.

Justice Janet McMurtry adjourned the matter until Monday, but she did issue an order “restraining the respondents from impeding, obstructing, or interfering with the ingress or egress to or from the applicant’s property, except for the purpose of conveying information and/or soliciting support, to a maximum of five minutes.”

Truckers have been delayed getting into and out of the facility since the picket lines went up. On Wednesday, a post from a trucker on Facebook said, “We are just flying now.”

FCL also has used helicopters to ferry supplies over the picket lines into the refinery complex.

On Dec. 3, the union issued strike notice that was to take effect Dec. 5. The company responded by saying it would lock out the workers on Dec. 5, and would rely on replacement workers and management to operate the facility.

On Sunday — more than a week into the lockout — the union called for a boycott of all Co-op products and services. That has led to picket lines at some of the Co-op gas stations in the city.

The dispute between FCL and the union is centred around pensions.