Viterra workers in Saskatchewan agree to new contract - union
Potential strike averted
22 January 2024
1 minute read
By: More than 400 Saskatchewan workers at grain handler Viterra have agreed the Rotterdam-based company's contract offer, their union said on Friday, averting a potential strike, reported Reuters.
The Grain and General Services Union (GSU) said the result of the vote had not been overwhelming and members still wanted more from Viterra.
"Members will continue to press the company during the term of the new agreement to address their concerns," GSU General Secretary Steve Torgerson said in a statement.
The union had suspended plans for a strike on Jan. 5 with just hours to spare to allow workers to vote on Viterra's latest offer.
Viterra represents 27% of Saskatchewan's capacity at country elevators, the facilities that buy crops from farmers and transport them to processors, mostly for export.
The company is owned by commodity giant Glencore , the investment arm of the Canada Pension Plan and British Columbia Investment Management Corp.
Canada is the world's biggest exporter of canola and fourth-largest wheat exporter, and Saskatchewan grows more of each crop than any other province.
US-based Bunge Ltd, a rival commodity firm, said last year that it would acquire Viterra subject to regulatory approval in Canada and elsewhere.
