Work stoppage would disrupt about $35 million of grain exports
Workers at several Metro Vancouver grain terminals walked off the job Tuesday morning after failing to come to an agreement with their employer.
That came after Grain Workers Union Local 333 served the Vancouver Terminal Elevators Association (VTEA) and Steve MacKinnon, federal minister of labour, a 72-hour strike notice.
The union came to the decision after it found dissatisfaction with VTEA’s actions during negotiations, said several officials of Grain Workers Union Local 333.
A possible work stoppage at Air Canada recently did not push through, thanks to the employer and the union reaching an agreement on Sept. 15.
VTEA ‘trying to get deal done’ with union
The union’s bargaining committee met with the VTEA on Monday and Tuesday last week and “spent most of the time correcting the errors VTEA had made to already-agreed-to items,” they said.
That, however, "could not be farther from the truth," said Wade Sobkowich, executive director of the Western Grain Elevator Association, according to the CBC report.
Bargaining has been difficult for the VTEA, whose members are in the Western Grain Elevator Association, since negotiations began last November, he said.
"The VTEA has been trying to get a deal done as soon as possible, because we're trying to get it resolved before we got into this year's harvest.”
Sobkowich also claimed that, in August, the union and the VTEA entered federal mediation, which did not result in a deal. He said VTEA wants an agreement quickly with the onset of the fall harvest and trade action from China that could block Canadian canola shipments.
"We sure need a solution under a short timeline here," he said. "We're very motivated to get this resolved."
Meanwhile, the Grain & General Services Union expressed “solidarity” with their “brothers and sisters in the Grain Workers Union Local 333” ahead of the strike action.
The Vancouver & District Labour Council also expressed their support for the union.
“We stand in solidarity with Grain Workers Union ILWU Local 333 on strike at terminals across Metro Vancouver. VDLC delegates and Executive Board members are visiting picket lines today to express our solidarity. Fair deal now!”
Impact of grain terminal strike
The strike would have a significant economic impact. The affected facilities are in Vancouver and North Vancouver, and include Viterra's Cascadia and Pacific Terminals, Richardson International Terminal, Cargill Limited Terminal, G3 Terminal Vancouver and Alliance Grain Terminal, according to the Port of Vancouver.
The Agricultural Producers Association of Saskatchewan (APAS) expressed serious concern over network disruptions linked to work stoppages in British Columbia.
“This is another gut punch for farmers,” APAS President Ian Boxall said on Monday. “Our farmers are again caught in the crossfire of labour disputes far from their fields, facing the consequences of halted grain shipments. It’s high time for assertive government action to safeguard our supply chain integrity.
“We remain optimistic that a collective agreement can be successfully reached in the short term, however, it requires an outcome that is fair and equitable for both sides,” stated Boxall.
The work stoppage would disrupt about $35 million of grain exports arriving at the terminals daily, according to a statement attributed to Alberta Minister of Agriculture and Irrigation RJ Sigurdson, citing data from the Canadian Grain Commission.
"Alberta's government encourages both parties to work towards an agreement to avoid any further disruptions to grain movement at this critical time of the year," the statement reads, according to another CBC report.
"Going forward, we are calling on the federal government to respond more effectively to labour disputes that create widespread damage to critical supply chains, as well as our country's economy and reputation as a reliable trading partner."
