The Regina Police Service is issuing parking tickets to vehicles involved in blocking the gates at Regina’s Co-op refinery.
This comes a day after Saskatchewan Premier Scott Moe said he would be appointing a special mediator to help end the dispute between the Co-op Refinery Complex (CRC) and its locked-out employees, represented by Unifor Local 594.
Moe said the province would appoint a special mediator if Unifor removed its blockades surrounding the refinery.
If Unifor declined the province’s offer, Moe said he would expect the Regina police to step in and take legal action.
At this point, the blockades remain up.
Unifor is standing behind the fact a court order issued against Unifor Local 594 does not apply to Unifor National, who claims to be behind the barricades.
Although the court order does not include Unifor National, Regina police Chief Evan Bray says no one has the right to barricade access to any business, union or not. They reiterated that message on Monday.
The offence is described on the ticket as parked on public property other than a public highway and is a $70 fine.
“We are issuing tickets under the City of Regina Traffic Bylaw 9900,” Regina police responded to Global News in an email.
“Among the many complaints we receive about the dispute, there have been many concerns about safety on the roads around the refinery.”
Employees have been locked out of the refinery since Dec. 5.
A division of Unifor represents some Global news employees.