REGINA -- Unifor national president Jerry Dias was arrested Monday evening in Regina.
The Regina Police Service said members arrested seven people at the picket line.
According to RPS, the union acted “in spite of a recent court order which set out the rules of engagement for both sides in the dispute.”
It also said Unifor members who are not a member of Local 594 were told that they could be arrested if they ignored the court order.
Names and exact charges were not provided, but police said officers arrested seven men.
Around 9 p.m. on Monday evening, Unifor members allowed some vehicles to be towed that were blocking access to the refinery, including a UHaul they had set up.
Earlier in the day, officers were heard warning Unifor members that they may be arrested for blocking access to and from the refinery for longer than 10 minutes.
During a press conference Dias said the temporary workers were prevented from going to work on Monday, and no trucks have been allowed to enter.
"We are not going to allow police to push us around, we are not going to let tow trucks take away our equipment," Dias said. "I'm not afriad of being arrested."
This development follows an announcement by Unifor which said that the national union was taking over the blockade because a court order ruled that Unifor Local 594 workers could only block trucks for 10 minutes.
On Monday afternoon, Unifor confirmed that its members had blocked a set of train tracks near to the refinery. CP Rail police towed several vehicles off the track.
CP Rail told CTV News it is monitoring the situation.
Regina police has called local tow truck companies to the scene.
According to the court order by Justice J. E. McMurtry dated December 2019, “Unifor Canada, Local 594 and all of its members, until the trial or other final disposition of its Action, or until further order of the court, are hereby restrained from impeding, obstructing or interfering with the ingress or egress to or from…[CCRL] Properties.”
