Unifor escalating strike action after talks between union, provincial government fail

Unifor is escalating its job action after talks between the union, which represents workers at six Crown corporations and one agency, and the provincial government failed to reach an agreement on Friday.

Workers are picketing the SaskPower Poplar River power plant near Coronach, Sask., and third-party SaskTel dealers “across the province,” according to a spokesperson.

“We’re obviously going to continue to escalate throughout the weekend and throughout the dispute until we get a deal,” Scott Doherty, executive assistant to the Unifor national president, said in a phone call with Global News.

Talks are scheduled to continue on Saturday afternoon.

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A government spokesperson has not responded to a request for comment.

Approximately 5,000 workers at Crown corporations, like SaskPower and SaskTel, began job action on Oct. 4.

The government previously made an offer to increase wages five per cent over five years but with no increase in the first two years. Unifor rejected the offer.

Last week, the Saskatchewan Water Agency reached a tentative deal with Unifor Local 820.

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