By Adriane Paavo, GSU

Grain Services Union members in Alberta continue to escalate strike action, joining with their 350 brothers and sisters in Manitoba who have been on strike against Agricore Co-operative Ltd. since November 9.

Since November 4, GSU members have been observing an overtime ban. On November 12, members at seven Alberta Agricore facilities in the Olds-Didsbury area walked off the job on a one-day strike action. When they returned to work the following Monday, seven of them were locked out. Since then, they have been picketing company facilities in the area, and have been joined by three other employees who walked off the job in support.

Strike action escalated November 16, when members in the Peace River area conducted a one-day strike action. Two days later, the same members walked off the job for the duration. And on November 19, GSU members at the grain company’s largest Alberta facility, Legacy Junction near Camrose, walked off the job. The strikers have been picketing key targets in their respective areas.

"We’ve been unionized in Alberta since 1991," said GSU’s Alberta local president Don Paisley, from Grande Prairie. "Taking strike action is new to us, but we understand that the issues affect us just like they do our brothers and sisters in Manitoba."

The dispute arose over employer demands for significant concessions, which would have gutted the collective agreement. Key issues include seniority, employee options when grain elevators are closed, hours of work, the designation of employees as full-time or seasonal, red-circling, and layoff and recall rights.

The two sides met November 21 and 22 for talks in Winnipeg with the assistance of a federal mediator. No significant progress was made. Agricore management even turned down a Union offer to return to work and submit outstanding issues to binding arbitration, revealing that the company has been wanting a fight right from the beginning.

Farmer and industry support for the GSU strike in both Alberta and Manitoba has been strong. "We’ve enjoyed tremendous support and co-operation from the railway unions in particular, but from other unions as well," said GSU bargaining spokesperson Hugh Wagner. "We appreciate the solidarity." GSU represents 350 members in Alberta who work in Agricore grain elevators. There are 350 full-time and 100-150 seasonal members in Manitoba.