Workers at several Metro Vancouver grain terminals walked off the job Tuesday morning.
Members of the Grain Workers Union Local 333 headed to picket lines at 7 a.m. PT, three days after serving strike notice, in what one industry group says could be “devastating” job action.
Both the union and the employer, the Vancouver Terminal Elevators Association (VTEA), say they could not come to an agreement on a new contract.
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 VTEA.
Grain Workers Union Local 333 president Douglas Lea-Smith says the workers’ employer, Vancouver Terminal Elevators Association, is dragging its feet and refusing to come to the table. The workers walked off the job on Tuesday morning.
According to an industry group representing Canadian grain growers, more than half of all Canadian-grown grain last year moved through the affected terminals, and the stoppage will halt 100,000 metric tonnes of commodities arriving at the terminals each day.
In a statement Monday, the Grain Growers of Canada said the “devastating” work action will cost about $35 million daily in lost exports. It called for Labour Minister Steven MacKinnon to prevent the work stoppage.
MacKinnon said he spoke with both parties on Monday, and the union and employer had agreed to come back to the table with federal mediators.
“Canadian farmers and businesses need to get their harvest to market,” MacKinnon said in a statement. “Parties need to work hard to get a deal.”
The union and employer are scheduled to return to the table on Wednesday.
Grain Workers Union Local 333 president Douglas Lea-Smith said the union recognizes the economic impact of the strike.
“We take it with heavy hearts to go on strike, but it’s the leverage provided to us to get the employer to come the table to bargain seriously,” he said. “They are the ones hurting the farmers, not us.”
Lea-Smith said the employer has not addressed several important issues, including workers’ ability to take paid lieu days.
“The employer has dragged their feet,” he said. “They are not serious about bargaining.”
Employer pushes back on claim
But Wade Sobkowich, executive director of the Western Grain Elevator Association, said that “could not be farther from the truth”
He said bargaining has been difficult for the VTEA, whose members are in the Western Grain Elevator Association, since negotiations began last November.
“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 said.
In August, Sobkowich said, 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.”
Lea-Smith said it’s up to the employer to offer a proposal for a new contract, and adds the union sent the VTEA a contract last Thursday. According to Lea-Smith, the employer said it wouldn’t respond to that offer.
Workers will picket outside the terminals around-the-clock until the VTEA contacts the union, he said.
According to Lea-Smith, the employer has hired foremen to keep the terminals running during the strike.
The Vancouver Fraser Port Authority says it is concerned about labour disruptions affecting operations. It is telling ships en route to Vancouver to adjust arrival times to prevent congestion unloading at ports, and giving anchorage priority to ships heading to terminals not affected by the strike.
“In the best interests of all Canadians, these matters need to be resolved immediately — and we urge all parties involved to come together and reach an agreement,” the port authority said in a statement.
