If you generally fill up at Red River Co-op you may have noticed most stations are out of gas.

Red River Co-op says that the issue is due to a labour dispute in Saskatchewan at the Federated Co-op Limited (FCL) refinery. The union that represents workers at the refinery, Unifor, has been involved in labour action since December.

Unifor has set up a blockade at the Shell and Esso fuel distribution centres that service Winnipeg in an effort put pressure on their employer.

According to Red River Co-op, there are no Unifor members that work for them at any of their 35 gas bars in Winnipeg and North Western Ontario.

The member-owner business says that they are doing everything they can to end the shortage but don’t expect that to happen quickly.

I want to commend our staff at DCC and across the correctional system for continuing to serve the province and the people in our custody with dedication, professionalism and compassion. 

– Clif Cullen, Manitoba Justice Minister

It is expected that any of the gas bars that still have fuel will be out before the end of business today.