Viterra responded to the 72-hour strike notice issued by the union representing its employees.

In a statement, the company says its committed to safety in the workplace and providing its workers with “competitive pay and benefits within a performance-based process.”

Both sides have Wednesday and Thursday to negotiate a new deal, and if no progress is made by 2 p.m. Friday, about 436 employees will be going on strike. The company also said it may also consider a lockout should no agreement is reached.
“We are committed to the collective bargaining process and remain cautiously optimistic that we will be able to arrive at an agreement with the GSU”, stated Jordan Jakubowski, VP of Human Resources for Viterra Canada. 

Viterra also says it has a contingency plan in place, to minimize disruption, should a strike occur. Any changes to location hours or operations will be communicated, the company said.

At issue is wages, a better work-life balance, and respect in the workplace for employees.