Unifor News

The union representing St. Lawrence Seaway workers in eastern Canada said it reached a tentative labor agreement on Sunday, ending a week-long strike that shut down a key North American trade route linked to the Atlantic Ocean.The Unifor union, representing some 360 workers, said it agreed to a deal with the St. Lawrence Seaway Management Corp (Seaway) that would cover engineering, maintenance, and other worker groups in Ontario and Quebec provinces.Other details of the agreement, which would need to be ratified by the workers, were not shared.

A strike in Canada's St. Lawrence Seaway entered its second day on Monday after workers walked off over a wage dispute, shutting down an important maritime trade route linking the Great Lakes to Montreal port and impacting about 115 vessels.Some 361 workers represented by the Unifor union went on strike on Sunday after failing to negotiate a new labor contract with the St. Lawrence Seaway Management Corp (SLSMC), which along with a U.S. body operates the waterway linking the Great…

Canada will spend C$320 million ($238.56 million) to support its offshore oil industry in Newfoundland and Labrador, which has struggled as coronavirus pandemic travel restrictions reduced demand, the government said on Friday.The funds are intended to support jobs and to lower greenhouse gas emissions from crude production, and could be used for maintenance, upgrades and environmental services, Natural Resources Minister Seamus O'Regan said St. John's.The money falls short of requests from the industry…

The St. Lawrence Seaway Management Corporation (SLSMC) has announced that its unionized employees, members of UNIFOR, ratified a three-year labor agreement covering the period of April 1, 2018 to March 31, 2021.Terence Bowles, President and CEO of the SLSMC, praised the negotiating teams for achieving another multi-year agreement, and said, “A fair labor settlement was reached earlier this month, enabling the St. Lawrence Seaway to continue providing uninterrupted service to the thousands of entities that depend upon marine transportation…

Canada’s National Shipbuilder Irving Shipbuilding celebrated the handover of Her Majesty’s Canadian Ship (HMCS) Fredericton to the Royal Canadian Navy following the completion of an extensive docking work period.The Halifax-headquartered shipyard said in a press release that the docking work period included routine maintenance and upgrades to ensure the longevity of HMCS Fredericton, a Halifax-class frigate.More than 400 of Halifax Shipyard’s 1,900 employees worked on HMCS Fredericton’s docking work period, including shipbuilders who are members of Unifor Local 1. Over 45 Nova Scotia-based suppliers worked with Halifax Shipyard on the Fredericton docking work period…

The Royal Canadian Navy’s Halifax-class frigate, Her Majesty’s Canadian Ship (HMCS) Montreal, arrived at Halifax Shipyard for a 53-week docking work period (DWP) that includes routine maintenance and upgrades to ensure the ships longevity.More than 400 Halifax Shipyard employees will work on HMCS Montreal DWP, including apprentice and journeyperson crane operators, electricians, engine fitters, ironworkers, joiners/stagers, labourers, material handlers, pipefitters, riggers, and welders, who are members of Unifor Local 1.HMCS Montreal is the third consecutive Halifax-class frigate from the Navy’s east coast fleet to enter the Halifax Shipyard’s graving dock for a DWP since 2016.

Irving Shipbuilding has partnered with Women Unlimited to provide education funding and job opportunities to 20 women who will participate in the welding and metal fabrication program at the Nova Scotia Community College (NSCC) Akerley Campus. The partnership is an outcome of Irving Shipbuilding's Centre of Excellence funding announced in October 2012. The mandate of the Centre of Excellence is to provide Nova Scotians, with particular focus on under-represented Nova Scotians, with applicable programs and training to optimize opportunities to work in the marine industry.

The gridlock at U.S. West Coast ports that has forced McDonald's to ration French fries at its Japanese restaurants and interrupted supplies to retailers such as Lululemon is unlikely to be alleviated by routing cargoes through Canada, whose Pacific ports face their own problems. Capacity is already limited at Canada's largest port, Port Metro Vancouver, which is also staring at the possibility of another crippling strike by container truck drivers. Tensions are mounting as talks to resolve longstanding complaints at the port drag on between government…

St. Lawrence Seaway and UNIFOR agree to binding arbitration, avoid strike The St. Lawrence Seaway Management Corporation (SLSMC) announced that it has reached agreement with UNIFOR, which represents the corporation’s 460 unionized employees, on Sunday evening to refer certain important issues to binding arbitration, also suspending the right to strike or lockout, ensuring that shippers will encounter uninterrupted navigation until March 31, 2018. Terence Bowles, President and CEO of the SLSMC, said “I am very pleased that we have reached this agreement, which enables navigation on the Seaway to continue without interruption.”

The union that represents workers along the St. Lawrence Seaway has agreed to take a contract dispute to arbitration, avoiding a strike that would have shut the waterway linking the Great Lakes and the Atlantic Ocean. The union, Unifor, announced the news in a statement on Sunday evening. It had previously set a strike deadline for Monday. "We have been meeting night and day the past week to reach a deal, and came to the conclusion that arbitration was the best way to resolve remaining issues," Unifor National Representative Joel Fournier said in the statement. Some 460 Unifor members work for the not-for-profit St. Lawrence Seaway Management Corp.   Reporting by Allison Martell

The union that represents workers on the St. Lawrence Seaway, the waterway that links the Great Lakes and the Atlantic Ocean, has extended a strike deadline to Monday at 5 p.m. ET/2200 GMT. A strike would close the key shipping route. Five locals of Unifor, Canada's largest private sector union, gave notice on Tuesday that they could strike midday on Friday. Unifor said talks would continue through the weekend: "We remain hopeful that a deal can be reached," said Unifor National Representative Joel Fournier in a release.   Reporting by Allison Martell

The union that represents workers on the St. Lawrence Seaway, the waterway that links the Great Lakes and the Atlantic Ocean, has extended a strike deadline to Monday at 5 p.m. ET/2200 GMT. A strike would close the key shipping route. Five locals of Unifor, Canada's largest private sector union, gave notice on Tuesday that they could strike midday on Friday. Unifor said talks would continue through the weekend: "We remain hopeful that a deal can be reached," said Unifor National Representative Joel Fournier in a release. (Reporting by Allison Martell; Editing by James Dalgleish)

The St. Lawrence Seaway Management Corporation (SLSMC) was served a 72-hour notice to strike by UNIFOR, a group representing the Seaway’s 460 unionized employees. The notice, which was issued Tuesday, October 28, indicates that the union intends to begin strike action as of 12:15 p.m. on Friday, October 31, 2014. As a result of UNIFOR’s strike notification, SLSMC has started implementing its detailed plans for an orderly and safe shutdown of the system within the 72-hour notice period. Should the unionized workers proceed with strike action, as scheduled, the St.

Union workers on the St. Lawrence Seaway, the waterway that links the Great Lakes and the Atlantic Ocean, have given notice of a possible strike, which could start on Friday afternoon, Unifor, Canada's largest private sector union, said on Tuesday. The not-for-profit St. Lawrence Seaway Management Corp could not immediately be reached for comment. During another dispute with the same union in 2008, the corporation said a strike could close the Seaway. Unifor has five locals and 460 members along the waterway, which stretches from Montreal to Lake Erie.

Leaders of the new coalition say they are fighting for the survival of the Canadian Maritime Industry, and explained their significant worries concerning the Canadian-European Comprehensive Economic Trade Agreement (CETA) and the lack of transparency that government has had when making this deal. This free trade agreement will allow EU beneficially owned Flag of Convenience (FOC) vessels and so-called European National Flag to trade freely between Canadian ports without any restrictions on origin of the crew, or level of wage and working conditions. What we can be sure about is that this agreement will completely halt the Canadian maritime transport sector's growth. Moreover, the communities and regions that depend on this industry will be destroyed.

"The governments of Canada and British Columbia and Port Metro Vancouver have reached agreement with members of Unifor and the United Truckers Association to end the 28-day trucker work disruption. We are pleased that an agreement has been reached and are looking forward to truckers returning to work. The Joint Action Plan has been revised in recognition of the concerns voiced by container truck owner/operators. This comprehensive plan includes significant initiatives and actions with specific targets over the coming months.

British Colombia Maritime Employers Association (BCMEA) inform that the Government of Canada, the Province of British Columbia and Port Metro Vancouver are taking coordinated action to address the work disruption at Port Metro Vancouver, Canada’s Asia-Pacific gateway. Port Metro Vancouver will begin its planned reform of the licensing system and move to terminate licenses. The Government of British Columbia is preparing back-to-work legislation with a 90-day cooling off period for 250 truckers who are members of Unifor…

Unionized container truck drivers set up picket lines at Canada's largest port on Monday, joining hundreds of non-unionized workers who walked off the job last month in a dispute over pay and services. They will now join a nearly two-week long strike by non-unionized drivers, which has already crippled operations at the busy port, hitting the export of commodities like lumber and specialized grain products, and the import of consumer goods. "The impact of truckers walking off the job is in the order of about C$885 million ($796.9 million) per week…

Facing the prospect of continued disruption of port operations by disgruntled container truckers, Port Metro Vancouver said it is taking immediate steps to enhance the safety of the port for working truckers. At the same time, the port said it is working with federal and provincial governments, shippers and trucking companies to address trucker concerns and the continued instability of the container trucking industry. Port Metro Vancouver will be seeking continuation and expansion of our injunction to keep protestors off port property.

Container truck drivers at Canada's largest port reached a new deal on Thursday, narrowly avoiding an expanded job action that would have seen some 400 unionized drivers join about 1,200 non-unionized drivers who walked off the job last week. The tentative agreement, which addresses demands made by both unionized and non-unionized drivers at Port Metro Vancouver, came after a morning of intense discussions with a government-appointed mediator and could help get hundreds of millions of dollars worth of products back on the roads. "We have now secured a deal that will hopefully get things back to normal at the port by early next week," said Gavin McGarrigle, British Columbia area director for Unifor, which represents the unionized drivers.

Reuters –  Container truck drivers at Canada's largest port have reached a new deal, narrowly avoiding an expanded job action that would have seen some 400 unionized drivers join about 1,200 non-unionized drivers who walked off the job last week. The tentative agreement, which addresses demands made by both unionized and non-unionized drivers at Port Metro Vancouver, came after a morning of intense discussions with a government-appointed mediator and could help get hundreds of millions of dollars worth of products back on the roads.

Unionized container truck drivers at Canada's largest port voted on Saturday to join a strike by their non-unionized colleagues, who walked off the job on Wednesday over a long-running dispute about pay and services. Unifor, which represents about 400 container truck drivers at Port Metro Vancouver, said its drivers voted overwhelmingly in favor of joining the four-day-old work action. The unionized workers must give 72-hour notice before walking off the job. Both groups are demanding that the port streamline operations to improve wait times or pay drivers a fair hourly wage while waiting. They are also asking for better, standardized pay rates to discourage under-cutting.

Reuters – Unionized container truck drivers at Canada's largest port voted on Saturday to join a strike by their non-unionized colleagues, who walked off the job on Wednesday over a long-running dispute about pay and services. Unifor, which represents about 400 container truck drivers at Port Metro Vancouver , said its drivers voted overwhelmingly in favor of joining the four-day-old work action. The unionized workers must give 72-hour notice before walking off the job. Both groups…