SaskTel workers tells Unifor it will strike if negotiations are not met fairly

Saskatchewan-based government-owned carrier SaskTel’s workers have told Unifor it will strike if a fair contract is not negotiated.

“Our members have made their intentions very clear with this vote,” said Chris MacDonald, Unifor’s assistant to the national president. “They want a fair contract. And if an agreement can’t be reached, the bargaining committee now has the ability to call a strike.”

Any strike will be held off until all sides come together for three days of negotiations that will begin on August 12th.

The union is asking for improvements to job security, provisions related to mental health and compensation.

“We insisted SaskTel put a monetary offer on the table and they have committed to doing that in August,” said Unifor Local 1-S president Dave Kuntz in a statement. “We’re hopeful that an agreement can be reached and service disruptions to the public will be avoided.”

Bloomberg reported that there are about 1,800 members of Local 1-S who work for SaskTel.

The crown corporation has about 1.35 million customers and approximately 3,700 full-time employees.

Source: Unifor