Unifor strike closes St. Lawrence Seaway
Written by Nick Blenkey
Photo: Unifor
After negotiators failed to reach an agreement, St. Lawrence Seaway workers went on strike just before midnight Saturday. As we reported earlier, their union, Unifor, had filed a 72-hour strike notice on October 18, setting a strike deadline of Saturday, October 21 at 11:59 p.m.
The St. Lawrence Seaway Management Corporation (SLSMC), which is responsible for the Canadian portion of the Seaway, says that an orderly shutdown of the system took place during the 72-hour notice period allowing for vessels to safely clear the Seaway system. While there are currently no vessels waiting to exit the system, there are over 100 vessels outside the system that are impacted by the situation.
The SLSMC says it is awaiting a response to an application to the Canada Industrial Relations Board seeking a ruling under the Canada Labour Code requiring the union to provide employees during a strike to ensure vessels engaged in the movement of grain continue transiting the system.
SLMC said that during negotiations Unifor had “minimally moved from their initial and consistent position on their wage demands,” and that negotiations were at an impasse as “Unifor continues to insist on wage increases inspired by automotive-type negotiations, while the SLSMC works to find a fair and competitive labor agreement that balances wage demands and market realities.”
Unifor National President Lana Payne expressed her disappointment at what she described as the failure of the employer to make serious movement in the past two days, saying: “This impasse is extremely unfortunate but our members remain committed to getting a fair agreement.”
“We negotiated in good faith right up to the last moment, but we cannot allow workers’ rights to be compromised,” said Unifor Quebec Director Daniel Cloutier, “We negotiated in good faith right up to the last moment, but we cannot allow workers’ rights to be compromised. We remain open to discussion and hope that the employer will reconsider its position for the good of all.”
Any prolonged Seaway closure could have economic impacts stretching beyond grain exports, important as those are.
“The Seaway has a long and respected reputation for reliability in its operations, and is a key conduit for commodities that support our quality of life, so it is the marine industry’s natural expectation that the Seaway will resolve this matter with minimal disruption, and with the support of the Government of Canada, if needed,” said Bruce Burrows, president and CEO of the Chamber of Marine Commerce. “A protracted disruption would certainly bring into sharp focus just how much life in North America relies on the Seaway as the heartbeat of the economy. When you consider the billions in economic activity at stake, the tens of thousands employed through Seaway activity, and the shippers, businesses, and consumers reliant on the system to move their goods, not having the Seaway open is just untenable.”
