The Grain Services Union says the process of merging the former Saskatchewan Wheat Pool and Agricore United into one company known as Viterra isn’t going smoothly in some cases.
The union, on behalf of its country operations and maintenance bargaining units in Saskatchewan, has asked the Canada Industrial Relations Board to step in to protect employees’ collective bargaining and union representation rights.
Viterra earlier filed its own application to the board, asking it to review the bargaining unit structure. The application stated that a vote should be held to determine whether employees want union representation.
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General secretary Hugh Wagner said Viterra is putting together the two workforces “in a way that has the potential of undermining the bargaining unit.”
He said there are cases where Viterra has placed non-union employees in positions that were held by unionized employees.
In other cases non-union employees were let go on short notice.
“The company is taking the position that it will determine which positions are in scope and which are out,” Wagner said.
He said this is creating uncertainty and confusion among employees.
Wagner said that Viterra agreed to a new collective agreement with its country operations employees during its pursuit of Agricore.
The union says all employees in Saskatchewan are covered by that agreement whether they worked for Sask Pool or Agricore before the takeover, and that should determine how positions are filled.
The union has asked Viterra to disclose its plans for all employees but hasn’t received that information.
Viterra has applied to the labour board for a three-province bargaining unit that would roll together all kinds of job classifications, Wagner added.
“We obviously don’t agree with it,” he said.
A Viterra official said the company wouldn’t comment on the matter.
“Viterra will not use the media to communicate with the union,” the spokesperson said.
Western Producer reporters are members of a different local of the Grain Services Union.
