There will be no strike at Viterra, as employees voted in favour of the offer presented to them.
The General and Grain Services Union, which represents 436 Viterra workers of Local 1 (Viterra Country Operations and Maintenance) and Local 2 (Viterra Regina Head Office), tallied the votes Friday on the January 4 offer from the company.
However, Steve Torgerson, the General Secretary of the GSU, said in a news release that the result doesn’t show overwhelming support for the deal.“Members of Local 1 and 2 have been living under the company’s so-called pay-for-performance system for 15 years now,” said Steve Torgerson, bargaining spokesperson and GSU general secretary. “While the changes in the final offer achieve part of what members were looking to gain, it doesn’t go far enough. Members will continue to press the company during the term of the new agreement to address their concerns.”
The union says the next steps are to incorporate the “the agreed-upon changes into the new collective agreement.”
“This offer was accepted by the majority of members of both Locals, but members still have their sights set on more improvements next time,” said Torgerson. “It is important to point out that there are improvements gained in this deal. Improvements we have been working on for years. Improvements that will benefit members today and in years to come.”
“As a democratic organization driven by members, I am proud of the members of Local 1 and 2 for their dedication to the process, by holding each other to account and striving for better working conditions for everyone,” Torgerson added. “While the members of these Locals don’t all believe in the same things, they have committed to stick together and continue to do the hard work it takes to build a strong and representative union.”