Saskatoon Co-op strike continues
A rally was held on the Co-op picket line in Martensville, north of Saskatoon on November 24. Photo by David Gray-Donald.
Workers on strike at Co-op locations in and around Saskatoon have been braving sub-zero temperatures and snow on the picket lines.
Workers are fighting to stop the imposition of a two-tiered wage system. Lucy Flack Figueiredo is the secretary-treasurer with UFCW Local 1400, the union representing the workers. She says, “The employer is making a proposal that no matter how long a new hire works, they will never achieve the rate of pay that these employees currently now have.”
Solidarity actions have been held, including at locations just outside Saskatoon in Martensville and Warman, with members of other unions like the Amalgamated Transit Union (ATU) and SGEU coming out to walk the picket line.
Many Co-op members have been respecting the picket line, getting groceries and gas from other businesses. A smaller number of members, including conservative radio host and corporate labour lawyer John *Gormley, have been crossing the picket line.
