Union members across Canada join the picket lines at the Co-op refinery

In the wake of the arrests of 14 Unifor picketers at the Co-op refinery, hundreds of union members across Canada are joining the fight for a fair deal.

Unifor member Katherine Phillips traveled from Kamloops, B.C. on Sunday to support her union brothers and sisters on the picket line.

As soon as she received the email calling for other Unifor members to mobilize in Regina, she started her trek.

“We’re unified. It’s important to be here, it’s important to see what’s going on and that we’re not going to back down,” Phillips said.

On Monday, Unifor national president Jerry Dias said 500 Unifor members had travelled from other parts of the country. On Tuesday morning, it was estimated another 250 members had arrived to help.

Later on Tuesday, Dias said more are coming in droves and they’re not going to back down.

Jacqueline Pygiel, the president of Unifor Local 2182, journeyed from Sydney, N.S., to get involved.

“You don’t take away rights that people have fought for and worked for their whole lives on the whim of a company that’s making billions of dollars,” she said. “It’s not right and I could never support a company like that.”

Other Saskatchewan unions have also jumped on the picket lines in solidarity.

On Wednesday afternoon, Hassan Yussuff, the president of the Canadian Labour Congress, is set to speak at a solidarity rally at the refinery picket line.

— With files from 980 CJME’s Lisa Schick