Unifor serves strike notice at SaskTel

Unionized workers at SaskTel could be on strike by the end of the month.

Unifor served a strike notice on Thursday. Negotiations will continue on Sept. 26 and 27. If a deal cannot be reached, job action at SaskTel is set to start at 12:01 a.m. on Sept. 30.

A strike is described as a last resort, following other job action including work-to-rule, bans on overtime and a one-day study session.

In a bargaining update on its website, Unifor explained some progress has been made on non-monetary items but a top priority — the reduction of contractors used by SaskTel — is still an outstanding item.

Unifor also called the government’s mandate of a two-year wage freeze for public sector workers an “insulting monetary package” which remains a sticking point that will almost certainly result in job action if no flexibility is granted.

Unifor western regional director Gavin McGarrigle criticized the premier in an update on the union’s website.

“Scott Moe saw fit to give himself a 2.3 per cent wage increase, so it’s certainly unfair to ask Saskatchewan’s hard-working Crown workers to swallow a wage freeze,” said McGarrigle.

In addition to SaskTel, Unifor said a strong strike mandate was also delivered at another six Crown corporations: SaskPower, SaskEnergy, SaskWater, the Water Security Agency, SecurTek, and Directwest. That affects about 4,300 to 4,400 unionized employees.

“Scott Moe is steering Saskatchewan towards a major service disruption,” Unifor national president Jerry Dias said in a statement on the union’s website. “All because he refuses to grant Crown workers the same pay increase that he gave himself.”

Dias is to be in Regina next week to join the negotiations with all seven Crowns.

In an emailed statement, Finance Minister Donna Harpauer said in the event of a strike, Crowns have business continuity plans in place and will utilize management staff to continue serving Saskatchewan people.

“While there is potential for several bargaining units to take job action at the same time, we have legislation in place to ensure that essential services continue to be provided to the people of Saskatchewan,” said Harpauer.