Canada’s St. Lawrence Seaway workers to go on strike, Unifor union says
2023.10.23 09:02
© Reuters. A goose swims in the St. Lawrence River across from the Port of Montreal in Montreal, Quebec, Canada, May 6, 2021. REUTERS/Christinne Muschi
(Reuters) -Workers at St. Lawrence Seaway Management Corp have decided to go on strike on Sunday after failing to reach an agreement on wages, the Canadian labor union Unifor said.
Unifor, which represents 361 workers at the government-established company, said no agreement had been reached with management after a late Saturday deadline passed.
“This impasse is extremely unfortunate, but our members remain committed to getting a fair agreement,” Unifor National President Lana Payne said in a statement.
An orderly shutdown of the system took place during a 72-hour notice period allowing for vessels to safely clear the Seaway system, and the corporation remains in regular contact with the marine industry, St. Lawrence Seaway Management said in an emailed response to Reuters on Sunday.
“There are no vessels waiting to exit the system, but there are over 100 vessels outside the system, which are impacted by the situation,” the statement added.
Unifor gave a 72-hour strike notice to St. Lawrence on Wednesday, demanding higher wages.
The strike would affect the St. Lawrence Seaway, which connects the Great Lakes and the St. Lawrence river, disrupting cargo movement towards Canadian provinces.
