By Robb M. Stewart
Canadian business groups are urging the federal government to intervene in a strike that threatens to disrupt the movement of cargo along the St. Lawrence Seaway, an important trade route for the country’s provinces that connects the Great Lakes and St. Lawrence river that flows to the Atlantic Ocean.
Members of labor union Unifor, which represents workers who operate lock systems, bridges and other infrastructure along the St. Lawrence Seaway, went on strike early Sunday after failing to reach an agreement on wages.
The Canadian Chamber of Commerce called on Ottawa to immediately step in to prevent further disruption to the country’s supply chains and limit the impact on Canadians.
The chamber said any work stoppage will damage the economy, stoke inflation and increase costs for Canadians. The St. Lawrence Seaway supports more than 66,000 Canadian jobs and is responsible for 34 million Canadian dollars, the equivalent of about $24.8 million, in economic activity a day, it said.
The walkout is the second strike to affect a major part of Canada’s shipping network this year after workers in British Columbia shut down west coast ports for almost two weeks in July, affecting trade and weighing on the activities of manufacturers and other businesses.
Shutting down the St. Lawrence Seaway impacts shipments of important exports such as grain, iron ore and potash, as well as fuel for transportation, fertilizer for crops, gypsum and cement for construction, and the salt municipalities need for winter road maintenance, the Chamber of Commerce said.
In a statement Sunday, St. Lawrence Seaway Management, the Canadian not-for-profit corporation responsible for the movement of marine traffic through seaway facilities, said the Seaway will remain shut down until an agreement with the union can be reached. It said the two sides were at an impasse and the union continued to insist on wage increases inspired by automotive-industry-type negotiations.
Vessels were cleared from the seaway system during the strike notice period and no vessels were waiting to exit, but there were more than 100 vessels outside the system impacted by strike. The company said it was waiting for a response to a Canada Industrial Relations Board application seeking a ruling under the country’s labor code that would require the union to provide employees during a strike to ensure vessels that are moving grain continue to operate.
The Canadian Federation of Independent Business called on the government to ensure the seaway remains fully operational while negotiations continue. It said federally regulated workers should be deemed indispensable to the country’s supply chain to avoid similar strikes in the future.
St. Lawrence Seaway Management shares responsibility for the administration of the Great Lakes-St. Lawrence Seaway with Great Lakes St. Lawrence Seaway Development, an agency of the U.S. Department of Transportation.
Unifor members walked off the job Sunday morning just after midnight. The union said negotiations continued until the last minute in an effort to avoid a strike, but the two sides remained miles apart on the issue of wages.
Write to Robb M. Stewart at [email protected]
Read the full article here