Saskatchewan Crop Insurance Corp. workers who are members of the Saskatchewan Government and General Employees’ Union have voted 86 percent in favour of a strike mandate.
SGEU represents 520 crop insurance workers, who have not had a contract since September 2009.
Votes were conducted at 21 locations between May 11 and 20. The results were released May 27.
“The bargaining committee is overwhelmed with the support received by the membership,” said Alan Evans, co-chair of the negotiating committee, in a news release. “This clearly shows the dissatisfaction of our members with the government’s wage mandate of 5.5 percent over three years.”
SGEU president Bob Bymoen said most workers are farmers and rural residents whose wages go back into agriculture and their communities.
“There is no reason why they shouldn’t be receiving a similar settlement of 7.75 percent over three years,” Bymoen said.
The vote does not mean the workers will strike immediately.
The union and Sask. Crop Insurance failed to returned calls before deadlines.
