Negotiations between Unifor and Co-op have stalled after the two sides met Friday.

Scott Doherty, Executive Assistant to Unifor’s National President says it’s fair to say that the two sides are further apart than ever before.

This comes after both sides proposed offers while at the table Friday.

After the union offered to include further concessions on pensions, Doherty says Co-op came back with a counter proposal late Friday that brought back concessions that were dropped previously.

Doherty says FCL brought back concessions that said the union had to give up jobs including maintenance positions.

The union offered a proposal that included millions of dollars in savings in the defined benefit pension plan. That offer included a contribution of 6 per cent from employees which Unifor estimates would have contributed to $12 million dollars a year in savings in the collective agreement.

Unifor has officially sent a letter to Premier Scott Moe asking for the government to intervene with binding arbitration.

Doherty says Co-op didn’t intend to reach a deal and he suggests they used the opportunity to get in as many fuel trucks as they could and to refill the scab camp kitchen.

The union says no fuel trucks will enter the refinery until a deal is reached.

The labour dispute has been on-going since December 5th and is currently in its 58th day as of Saturday.

Co-op sent out a statement Saturday afternoon after talks between Unifor and FCL ended Friday without a deal.

FCL says “While the two bargaining committees remain far apart, we are confident there is a path to a deal.”

The statement says it was always going to take more than one day to close the gap between the two parties and that they encourage Unifor to return to the table.

Co-op says they were prepared to bargain through the weekend, although talks can’t continue while blockades are up at any location.

The Saskatchewan NDP is also saying the time has come for binding arbitration to occur.

Leader Ryan Meili sent out a statement Saturday afternoon saying the lack of leadership from the provincial government on this issue can not continue and that binding arbitration is needed.