A news release from the Co-op Refinery Complex says it is unable to accept all aspects of the report’s recommendations in their entirety, and modifications are needed, but the report contains a number of helpful recommendations which the CRC hopes will help to move negotiations forward to get a deal signed.
The company will be presenting an offer in the coming days.
The CRC says there are other issues at play, with a drastic decline in fuel consumption and rapidly declining oil prices that is putting the refinery in a more difficult financial position that when negotiations began.
The company must consider how to reduce costs, delay capital spending, protect jobs and make decisions around cancelling projects that are no longer viable.

Unifor’s national president, Jerry Dias had said last Friday that the final report would be accepted, although the members weren’t thrilled with it.
In response to Federated Co-op’s rejection of the recommendations, Dias says the Premier ordered the mediation process and now the evidence is staring Scott Moe in the face that Co-op has never wanted a fair deal.
Dias is asking for legislation to end the lockout, and is making a formal request to the province to intervene.

The recommendations included changes to the refinery workers’ pension plan, with union members contributing up to 8 per cent to their pensions, as opposed to the current situation where the pension is completely employer funded.