Around 5,000 workers at six Saskatchewan Crown corporations and one Crown agency are on strike after failing to reach a new collective bargaining agreement with the province.
The companies involved are SaskTel, SaskPower, SaskEnergy, SaskWater, the Water Security Agency and two SaskTel subsidiaries.
“We had an open offer 24-7 that we were ready to negotiate, we wanted to negotiate, we wanted a deal, but unfortunately that didn’t happen.”
A work-to-rule campaign started on Sept. 30, with members refusing to work overtime and disregarding any of the company’s performance targets.
The workers, represented by Unifor, and the province failed to reach a tentative contract by midnight Thursday.
Picket lines went up at 7 a.m.
Unifor has been seeking wage increases of two per cent in 2019, 2020 and 2021, while the government has demanded wage freezes.
“We know the Crown is very profitable and turning a good revenue back into the coffers, for the highways, healthcare and all the good things the province provides,” Kuntz said.
“We know SaskTel, particularly, made $127.4 million last year. We’re saying these employees need to be treated fairly.”
Premier Scott Moe said his government “does not believe a general strike would be in the best interests of the Crown corporations or the best interest of the people employed by the Crown corporations.”
“We know that the executive at the Crown corporations want to settle, Sask. Party is not wanting to settle,” Kuntz said.
“We’re ready to talk so it’s about them getting back to the table and contacting us.”
In a statement, Finance Minister Donna Harpauer said the employer offer works out to a five per cent offer over five years, and “respects the hard work of Crown employees while balancing the fiscal reality of the province.”
Opposition Leader Ryan Meili thinks the raises are deferred to later years in the interest of the Saskatchewan Party government promise to balance the budget in 2020.
“The zeroes are a budget game. This is absolutely about trying to avoid taking responsibility for their own financial mismanagement and forcing that on Crown workers,” Meili said.
Plans to maintain essential services by the Crowns have been reassured by Moe. Some examples include SaskTel’s 911 call centre and SaskPower’s outage centre.
SaskTel stores will be closed during the strike while changes to home services are still available by phone, but new home services or transfer services when moving are unavailable.
Changes to services are encouraged to be made online through mySASKTEL.
During the labour disruption, SaskPower is changing its phone and online chat hours to 10 a.m. – 3 p.m.
SaskEnergy is suspending its main customer service phone line, but its 24-hour emergency line will remain in operation along with its Sask. 1st Call service.
Through the 24-hour line, SaskEnergy will respond to customers dealing with gas line hits, natural gas odours, carbon monoxide alerts and underground leaks.
Billing services can be accessed online or by emailing them.