Canada Grain Workers Go on Strike

After failed contract negotiations, Grain Workers Local Union 333 went on strike Tuesday, stopping work at five grain terminals in Vancouver.

The union, which represents 650 grain workers at terminals in Metro Vancouver, served the Vancouver Terminal Elevators Association (VTEA) notice they would strike at 7 a.m. Sept. 24 after having served the strike notice 72 hours prior.

According to a letter posted on their Facebook page, Grain Workers Union Local 333 (GWU) said the union's bargaining committee made the decision to issue a strike notice meeting with the VTEA Sept. 16 and 17. The union said it spent "most of the time correcting the errors VTEA had made to already agreed to terms, and VTEA then took 36 hours to respond to the union's proposal with a bare-bones document on Sept. 19 that continued to insist on changing lieu day entitlements."

GWU told members in the letter: "Your union will not bargain against itself. It is VTEA's move. We will await their proposal if, and when it comes, and respond accordingly."

Canadian government websites noted VTEA represents several western Canadian grain companies that operate elevators in the Port of Vancouver. These companies are Viterra Inc. Cascadia Terminal, Viterra Inc. Pacific Terminal, Richardson International Limited, Cargill Limited and Alliance Grain Terminal Ltd.

Grain Growers of Canada (GGC) said in a news release Sept. 13 it was deeply concerned about the impending GWU strike at the Port of Vancouver, which would stop all shipments of bulk grain.

"Grain farmers in the Prairies rely heavily on the Port of Vancouver to handle and export the majority of the grain they grow," GGC stated. "In fact, last year terminal elevators at the Port of Vancouver received roughly 52% of all grain produced from across Canada, underscoring the critical role these terminals play in our agricultural supply chain.

"Following last month's rail work stoppages, this strike will have an equally devastating impact on grain farmers across the Prairies who are in the midst of harvest. Data from the Canadian Grain Commission indicates that this work stoppage will halt nearly 100,000 metric tons of grain arriving at these terminals per day, resulting in a loss of $35 million in potential exports daily."

GGC added it is "calling on the federal government and Minister of Labour, Steven MacKinnon, to use all tools available to them to ensure parties reach an agreement before a work stoppage occurs. Without intervention, Canada's international trading reputation will continue to suffer, leading to the loss of key global markets and customers."

The Canola Council of Canada (CCC) said in a news release it is "deeply concerned" about the work stoppage at the Vancouver grain terminals.

"As a critical hub for Canadian canola exports, the Vancouver grain terminals are vital to the economic interests of the industry," the group stated.

"Access to export markets is critically important for the Canadian canola industry," said Chris Davison, CCC president and CEO. "A work stoppage at the Vancouver grain terminals will cause significant financial and reputational harm at a time when the whole industry, from farmers to processors to exporters, are already facing significant market challenges and headwinds. We urge the federal government to take all necessary measures to ensure that Canadian canola can move through the Port of Vancouver to reach international markets."

CCC added, "Given current circumstances, the federal government must act swiftly to resolve this work stoppage to avoid additional harm to the Canadian canola industry."

The GWU strike comes after International Longshore and Warehouse Union Local 514 told the British Columbia Maritime Employers Association (BCMEA) on Sept. 3 it had a mandate from its members to take strike action against its employer DP World (Canada) Inc. Both parties continued hearings with the Canada Industrial Relations Board (CIRB) regarding the ILWU 514's pay and manning proposal, which the BCMEA alleges to be illegal, constituting the union bargained in bad faith. BCMEA on their website on Sept. 18 noted that the hearings concluded and "We are awaiting a decision from the Board and will communicate further when appropriate." At time of writing, neither party has issued a 72-hour notice of strike or lockout, nor have there been any labor disruptions. Regular cargo and passenger operations at British Columbia's ports continue uninterrupted.â?¯

Mary Kennedy can be reached at mary.kennedy@dtn.com

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