February 29, 2024
Second bargaining session with employer held Feb. 28 and 28
Our Local 19 (Prairie Co-op) bargaining committee is currently convened in GSU’s Regina office boardroom, engaging in virtual collective agreement renewal negotiations with their employer counterparts. The two sides also convened for a session yesterday, marking their second encounter since their initial bargaining session on Feb. 14.
Local 19 members are asking for improved benefits, better pay and a compensation structure that factors in performance, annual increases, and movement through a range.
The current collective agreement expired Oct. 31, 2023.
Local 19 (Prairie Co-op) bargaining gets underway
Tuesday Members’ Memo – Feb. 20, 2024
The Local 19 bargaining committee, comprised of Colter Spence, Lindsay Hill, and Mason Van Luven, were scheduled to meet with the Prairie Cooperative bargaining committee on Feb. 14 and Feb 15. The Company cancelled the second day of bargaining to review and cost the union’s bargaining package. Feb 28 and 29 have been tentatively set as dates to resume bargaining.
“On first impressions, there is a frustrating contrast between what our members need and what the company wants,” explained union bargaining spokesperson Mason Van Luven. “We came in asking to improve the contract, to make it more fair and consistent, so that members could plan a life around their career with their employer.”
The pandemic economy benefited ag-retail suppliers with high prices, which they used to record improved or record-breaking profit. “Rather than invest those gains into their workers, they used that capital to improve efficiency, which has resulted in position eliminations across this industry and almost all others,” Van Luven continued.
Local 19 members are asking for improved benefits, better pay, and a compensation structure that factors in performance, annual increases, and movement through a range. The Company has asked for concessions and have yet to reveal their compensation offer.
Local 19 (Prairie Co-op) – Bargaining set to begin in February
Tuesday Members’ Memo – Feb. 6, 2024
GSU staff rep Mason Van Luven has been engaging with Local 19 members who have elected Devin Lipinski, Colter Spence, Lindsay Hill, and Jennifer Schmidt to comprise their bargaining committee. Members reconnected on Dec. 14 during an annual meeting to assess their priorities before meeting with the company February 14 and 15, and again on February 28 and 29.
The current collective agreement expired Oct. 31, 2023.