Unifor brought their strike at the Co-op Refinery in Regina to Weyburn on Monday morning, as they blockaded off the Crossroads location at the intersection of Highways 39 and 13. The picket was taken down in the afternoon and Prairie Sky Co-op and Main Track Cafe were able to resume their business.
The strikers put up a fence around the entire perimeter of the property with large rented trucks blocking every entrance. This cut off the Main Track restaurant, C-store and gas bar, and access to the cardlock for truckers.
In a release from the union, this action is part of “a new wave of information pickets in the Regina area to let Co-op retailers and members know that they have an important role to play in getting the refinery executives back to the bargaining table.”
There were a number of RCMP cruisers parked on the highway across from the entrances, and the union had private security members also on the picket line.
As Unifor has been locked out of the Co-op Refinery since December, the union has launched a campaign asking customers to boycott the Co-op retail outlets.
Kevin Bittman, Unifor Local 594 president, said in a statement, “Co-op retailers and members need to take back their refinery before FCL executives do more damage to the Co-op brand.”
