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Worried about the reputation of the City of Regina if the labour dispute between Co-op Refinery Complex (CRC) and Unifor 594 continues, a city councillor is joining the call for binding arbitration.

“I’ve even read accounts from the United States, read accounts from Europe actually that are writing about this,” said Ward 3 Coun. Andrew Stevens. “What they see are Regina Police Service (RPS) officers handcuffing union leaders. They are seeing an employer that is asking for the imprisonment of union leaders, massive fines.

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“The city has been seen as helping the refinery more than the residents and the workers on the picket line.”

As the dispute is poised to enter its third month and the two parties enter a second week with a provincially-appointed special mediator — which is non-binding — Stevens said the costs to the community’s reputation and economy are rising.

And although it’s not an issue that falls in municipal jurisdiction, he said council members are “feeling it” and have been since the start of the lockout on Dec. 5. The truckers’ association, trucking companies, individual residents and now more and more union members are reaching out to council.