Construction begins on work camp at Co-op Refinery, amid standstill

Construction is about to begin on an onsite work camp at the Co-op Refinery Complex (CRC).

CRC said trailers will be arriving at the refinery’s Gate 7 entrance on Tuesday.

This comes after Unifor Local 594 declared an impasse on Sept. 26, when the two sides failed to reach a collective bargaining agreement.

The deal expired on Feb. 1, 2019.

“These trailers serve as a precaution in the event we need to house our highly-trained management team and temporary contract workers in response to a possible labour disruption at CRC,” said Gil Le Dressay, VP of refinery operations.

“Our primary goal is to reach a fair deal with our union and keep our employees working. However, we must be prepared to safely run our refinery in the event of a labour disruption.”

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“Bringing trailers onsite is “not something we want to do, but is something we have to do for the safety of our people and our community.”

He said there are three main reasons for this type of action: to protect the safety of its employees and nearby community, to protect the western Canadian fuel supply, and to protect Regina’s economy.

“CRC, like most refineries, operates 24/7, 365 days per year. By its very nature, it simply cannot be shut down in the event of a labour disruption,” Le Dressay said.

“If labour action does take place, the work camp being constructed will house our highly-skilled management team as they assume the safe operation of our refinery.”

Local 594 represents close to 800 workers at the refinery.