How did a week of downtime on the St. Lawrence Seaway end?
Workers went on shift Monday morning.
The Unifor union reached a tentative agreement with St. Lawrence Seaway Corp. (SLSMC) management in negotiations mediated by the Ontario and Quebec authorities. As a result, employees on strike since Oct. 22, 2023, walked off the job at 7 a.m. Oct. 30. The agreement covers workers in the control and technical group as well as the maintenance, operations and records management group.
"For the first time in 55 years seaway workers took the very hard decision to go on strike. They did so to fight for a more respectful workplace and for an agreement that reflects today’s economic times,” said Lana Payne, Unifor National President. “They have shown that the best deal is reached at the bargaining table, and I congratulate the committee on their outstanding work on behalf of their members.”
The protest by 360 workers represented by the Unifor union led to a halt of ship traffic through a key trade corridor.
Details of the agreement are not yet available, but the union has fought for wage increases to keep up with the rising cost of living. Details of the deal will first be shared with all union members and made public once the agreement is ratified. A vote will be scheduled in the coming days.
