WINNIPEG, MANITOBA, CANADA — A revised contract offer from Viterra will be voted on by the union representing more than 400 workers at the company’s facilities in the Canadian province of Saskatchewan, Reuters reported. 

The Grain and General Services Union said a planned strike on Jan. 5 was postponed, and in the period leading up to the vote, employees will work to rule, meaning they will not take on tasks beyond their contractual and legal obligations. 

The two sides met with federal mediators on Jan. 3 and 4, and Viterra said on Jan. 5 that it is offering a four-year contract, with pay increases of 4.5% in the first year, 3.75% in the second year and 2.5% in each of the final two years. The worker vote will happen in the coming days, and ballots will be counted on Jan. 19, the union said. 

“We believe that we have provided an offer that is fair and reasonable, one that takes into account the needs of our employees, while balancing the needs of our business through long-term labor stability,” said Jordan Jakubowski, vice president of human resources for Viterra Canada, Inc. “Throughout this process, we have been committed to bargaining in good faith, in keeping with our long history of working fairly and respectfully with our employees.”

Rotterdam, Netherlands-based Viterra is one of Canada’s largest grain handlers. With 78 grain storage facilities and 117.08 million bushels of licensed grain storage, Viterra Canada, Inc. is the 13th-largest grain handling company in North America as listed in Sosland Publishing Co.’s 2024 Grain & Milling Annual. Saskatchewan is Canada’s biggest grain-growing province.