Striking postal workers will get a boost today from the Public Service Alliance of Canada.
More than 400 PSAC members will march from Portage And Main at noon today to the Canada Post building on Graham Avenue. The march is in support of the Canadian Union of Postal Workers, which is involved in rotating strikes in major cities across Canada to press their contract demands.
Frustration is mounting for gaming employees with Casino Regina after a meeting last week with their employer, the Crown-owned Saskatchewan Gaming Corp., failed to strike a new deal.
Communication between Sask. Gaming and the Public Service Alliance of Canada (PSAC), which represents about 425 gaming employees at the casino, has been minimal since the strike began more than a month ago.
Both parties had high hopes an agreement could be reached when the corporation arranged the meeting last week, but Robin Benson, regional executive vice president of PSAC, said they now seem even further apart.
She said the corporation is willing to increase wages, but not without scaling back some positions to part-time.
“We had really hoped they were serious about us coming back to the table. We are nowhere close to an agreement,” said Bensen.
“You can’t take from one hand and give to the other. A wage increase, but no full-time hours, is just not possible. If you are never going to be more than a part-time worker, how is that a career?”
On June 3, more than 400 gaming employees walked off the floor and went on strike after failed attempts to reach a new contract with their employer.
Food and beverage employees also are on the picket line in support of PSAC’s decision to strike, leaving the casino operating with limited services and shorter hours.
The union members, which include dealers, cashiers, security guards and slot attendants, have been without a contract since May 2009. Wage increases, family leave and night-shift premiums are the outstanding issues.
Members of PSAC, along with the Saskatchewan Federation of Labour, will be hosting a rally outside the Legislative Building on Thursday, and have also been in contact with local MLAs to step in.
Blaine Pilatzke, vice-president of human resources for Sask. Gaming, said he was hoping the meeting would spark further discussions, but was disappointed when nothing further materialized.
He said Sask. Gaming presented a fair offer that included 5.5 per cent in total increased compensation over a three-year period and a realignment of existing provisions within the collective agreement to address some of the union’s priorities.
The offer also included improvements to health care benefits.
“We presented a couple of options to try to address some of their priorities, but those were rejected,” said Pilatzke.
“It’s been more than 30 days and the corporation recognizes it’s difficult on the picketers, but it’s also difficult on our out-of-scope staff who have been asked to perform additional functions as well. I would hope that at some point in the near future we can get back and have some further discussions.”
A looming labour dispute could cripple the fuelling of aircraft at Vancouver International Airport.
A federal conciliation officer was part of negotiations Monday between Local 20221 of the Public Service Alliance of Canada (PSAC) and GlobeGround Fuel Services and is scheduled to mediate negotiations again today.
The 73 members of the union work at the airport’s tank farm and fuel all international and domestic flights, with the exception of flights out of the south terminal.
They voted 93 per cent in favour of a strike Friday. But the union hasn’t issued 72-hours’ strike notice and the company hasn’t issued a 72-hour lockout notice.
