Advertisement 1

Refinery skirmish assault charges withdrawn against union members

The withdrawal of the charges closes yet another chapter of the legal saga faced by some members of Unifor Local 594 after a lockout.

Article content

A fly on the wall in the office of Unifor Local 594 would’ve heard a few sighs of relief, lately. Perhaps a few cheers, as well.

Charges, including assault and mischief, against four members of the local which represents workers at Regina’s Co-op refinery, have been withdrawn.

The withdrawal of the charges closes yet another chapter of the legal saga faced by the union, which has dragged on long after the the end of the labour dispute that sparked it.

Advertisement 2
Story continues below
Article content
Article content

Moreover, the three members who were facing assault charges were ordered to be reinstated, after being fired by Consumers’ Co-operative Refineries Limited (CCRL).

The trio was fired for their respective roles in an April 30, 2020 picket-line confrontation that led to the charges, and as well, in one man’s case, racist remarks made to a security guard.

The order to reinstate the members comes by way of a decision reached by Anne Wallace, who presided over an arbitration under the Saskatchewan Employment Act. Wallace found that while CCRL had cause to discipline the men, firing them was not a reasonable course of action, according to her decision dated Nov. 15.

Those originally charged were James Mohns, Ward Johnson, Kristopher Atkinson and Joseph Dulong. Their charges were withdrawn Nov. 23.

Mohns, Johnson and Atkinson were those fired, now to be reinstated.

Local 594 president Nathan Kraemer says it was an “awful year,” for the members involved. In addition to being charged and having lost their jobs, he said the men had to grapple with the fact that they’d been named in the news.

Article content
Advertisement 3
Story continues below
Article content

So when the results of the arbitration came in, it was an “incredible relief.”

“We phoned them right away and it was pretty emotional.”

Following those phone calls, the news was put to the membership and the mood was “almost like when we ratified.”

“I do think 594 is like a big family and the whole family was thrilled,” he said.

Kraemer didn’t condone what was said or done by his members leading up to the charges, and made a point of saying the racist remarks were unacceptable. But in the depths of the labour dispute, he said, some members were in a different mindset.

“You do things that are out of character, and I believe that’s what this was.”

An investigation into the matter by police began after they were sent to the refinery when it was reported that 9th Avenue North, which runs along the refinery’s south side, was blocked by vehicles. Throughout the course of their work, police discovered evidence of an altercation.

The event was, in part, captured on video. Later charges were laid. The labour dispute continued until June of 2020, when an agreement between the union and the company was reached.

Advertisement 4
Story continues below
Article content
We apologize, but this video has failed to load.
Try refreshing your browser, or
tap here to see other videos from our team.

Kraemer sees the withdrawal of charges as evidence the event wasn’t the “huge, violent brawl that it was made out to be.”

Mohns, Johnson and Atkinson are expected to return to work within the next few weeks.

The arbitrator also directed CCRL to “make whole the Grievors,” which will include things like lost wages and benefits.

The company reached out to the union quickly following the decision, and the process has been going well, as far as Kraemer is concerned.

Comments from company on the whole affair were brief.

“We will abide by the arbitrators ruling and will work with all involved parties on reinstatement,” said Brad DeLorey, a spokesman for the Co-op Refinery Complex.

This comes after mischief and obstruction charges faced by 13 members of Unifor, including national president Jerry Dias, were stayed or dismissed, this fall.

Additionally, a separate mischief charge faced by Scott Doherty, assistant to Dias, was stayed as well.

bharder@postmedia.com

old_harder

The news seems to be flying at us faster all the time. From COVID-19 updates to politics and crime and everything in between, it can be hard to keep up. With that in mind, the Regina Leader-Post has created an Afternoon Headlines newsletter that can be delivered daily to your inbox to help make sure you are up to date with the most vital news of the day. Click here to subscribe.

Article content
Comments
You must be logged in to join the discussion or read more comments.
Join the Conversation

Postmedia is committed to maintaining a lively but civil forum for discussion. Please keep comments relevant and respectful. Comments may take up to an hour to appear on the site. You will receive an email if there is a reply to your comment, an update to a thread you follow or if a user you follow comments. Visit our Community Guidelines for more information.

Latest National Stories
    This Week in Flyers