Three-day strike ends with four-year deal

A new collective agreement was approved by 77 percent of voting members of Construction Workers Union CLAC Local 152 after the employees of Premier Horticulture spent three days on the picket line.

Members went on strike on Aug. 5 and according to the CLAC, both parties worked quickly toward a contract, reaching a tentative agreement on Aug. 6 and full approval on Aug. 8.

This followed three rounds of rejected contract proposals and nearly a year of negotiations.

CLAC stated that key issues included wages and the length of the new agreement.

“During bargaining, the parties also negotiated an essential services agreement under new legislation that prohibits employers from using replacement workers during a strike or lockout,” an Aug. 8 press release stated.

CLAC regional director Geoff Dueck Thiessen said the new agreement includes retroactive wage increases and a shorter contract term.

“Strike action is always a last resort, but our members were clear that they could not accept another long-term agreement,” he said. “After experiencing years of high inflation under the previous six-year contract, workers wanted greater certainty and the ability to return to the bargaining table sooner if economic conditions change.”

“By standing together, they secured a four-year agreement and additional wage increases,” he added. “We’re proud of the determination, respect and professionalism they showed throughout the process.”

Premier Horticulture employees harvest peat moss from bogs and package the product in Richer.