Business groups call on Ottawa to intervene as St. Lawrence Seaway strike begins
Business teams urged the federal authorities to intervene to void a prolonged labour dispute on the St. Lawrence Seaway amid issues {that a} strike that started early Sunday might have a profound have an effect on on their members.
The St. Lawrence Seaway shut down after a whole bunch of employees walked off the job shortly after midnight over failed contract negotiations.
Unifor, the union representing the roughly 360 putting employees, mentioned final week that it remained miles aside from administration on the important thing problem of wages. Hours earlier than the strike, the St. Lawrence Seaway Management Corp. indicated there had been little progress within the negotiations and has argued the union’s wage calls for might result in larger tolls.
The Canadian Federation of Independent Business mentioned strike-related delays might lead to misplaced gross sales and income at a time when small companies are already coping with different challenges like inflation and labour shortages.
“It comes after the B.C. port strike, it comes after COVID restrictions, it comes after a series of hits that businesses are having to deal with for the past couple of years and we’re hoping to see the federal government not to stay on the sidelines and not to wait for another 13 days of strikes like (what) happened at the B.C. port strikes,” mentioned Jasmin Guénette, vice chairman of nationwide affairs on the CFIB.
“We’re hoping to see the federal government step in, find a way to ensure that the St. Lawrence Seaway activity resume as quickly as possible.”
The federation says small companies had been severely affected by the July strike in B.C., through which 1000’s of provincial port employees walked off the job over 13 days. The job motion froze billions in cargo at one of many nation’s busiest ports.
The final thing the economic system wants now’s one other busy commerce route being blocked, the federation mentioned.
Calls for federal intervention within the seaway strike additionally got here from the Canadian Chamber of Commerce. It notes the seaway helps 66,000 jobs and is chargeable for $34 million in financial exercise each day, so any stoppage will damage the economic system.
“Particularly at this critical time, Canadians need stability in our supply chains,” the group mentioned in an announcement. “We urge the Government of Canada to use all the tools in its tool box to solve this strike immediately.”
Both federal Transport Minister Pablo Rodriguez and Labour Minister Seamus O’Regan took to the social media platform X, previously often known as Twitter, early Sunday to induce everybody again to the negotiating desk.
O’Regan posted a second time to the platform Sunday afternoon, saying he and Rodriguez had calls with St. Lawrence Seaway Management Corp. and Unifor with a transparent message that they need to “get back to the table” to succeed in a deal and “get the seaway moving again.”
Last yr, some $16.7 billion value of cargo — practically half of it grain and iron ore — traversed the St. Lawrence Seaway, a system of locks, canals and channels that stretches greater than 300 kilometres.
The strike is predicted to have an effect on cargo shipments instantly alongside the artery that runs between Montreal and Lake Erie. The company was ready for a response to its utility to the Canada Industrial Relations Board, searching for an order to substantiate the applying of the Canada Labour Code associated to the motion of grain throughout a strike.
Talks started in June with the assistance of a federal mediator and continued after Unifor issued a 72-hour strike discover to the employer on Wednesday. A shutdown of the system passed off throughout that interval permitting vessels to clear the Seaway. There are presently no vessels ready to exit the system, however there are over 100 outdoors which might be impacted by the scenario, the seaway authority mentioned.
Unifor mentioned it was unable to succeed in an settlement with the employer by the strike deadline regardless of negotiations. The staff vary from engineers to directors cut up between 5 locals.
Workers arrange pickets Sunday in St-Lambert, simply south of Montreal, and St. Catharine’s, Ont.
On Sunday, either side accused the opposite of withdrawing from the negotiating desk.
The union has mentioned it stays far aside on the problems of wages — the important thing sticking level in negotiations. The union mentioned shortly after the strike was declared it remained open to talks.
The St. Lawrence Seaway Management Corporation mentioned the union has budged little on its wage calls for, however added the stakes are excessive and it’s decided to discover a answer that serves the pursuits of everybody.
“We remain committed to continuing discussions at the table and reaching a fair labour agreement,” company spokesman Jean Aubry-Morin mentioned in an e mail.
This report by The Canadian Press was first revealed Oct. 22, 2023.
— With recordsdata from Christopher Reynolds and Mathieu Paquette in Montreal.
