The contract is for four years
By Diego Flammini
Staff Writer
Farms.com
Viterra employees represented by the Grain and General Services Union (GSU) Locals 1 and 2 ratified the company’s latest contract offer on Jan. 19.
About 436 employees across Saskatchewan voted in favour of the four-year contract, which Viterra offered on Jan. 4.
Local 1, which represents country operations and maintenance, voted 63 per cent in support of the contract. Local 2, which represents workers in the Regina office, voted 68 per cent to accept the deal.
Those results do “not show overwhelming support for the final offer,” the GSU said.
The contract increases pay by 13.25 per cent over the length of the contract, including a 4.5 per cent raise in the first year.
But the agreement doesn’t address all employee concerns.
“Members of Local 1 and 2 have been living under the company’s so-called pay-for-performance system for 15 years now,” Steve Torgerson, bargaining spokesperson and GSU general secretary, said in a statement. “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.”
Viterra reps are pleased with the outcome of the negotiations.
The agreement’s ratification allows for labour peace and Viterra to focus on providing service to its customers.
"We're very pleased to have reached a long-term agreement with our employees, one that we believe is fair and reasonable that takes into account their needs, while balancing the needs of our business through long-term labour stability," Jordan Jakubowski, VP of Human Resources for Viterra Canada, said in a press release. "We have a long history of working fairly and respectfully with our employees, and through this agreement we can continue to serve our customers with superior service across our Saskatchewan business."