October 3, 2011

Canadian Auto Workers union recommends St. Lawrence Seaway workers accept labour agreements

The Canadian Auto Workers announced Monday it has made tentative collective agreements between the St. Lawrence Seaway Management Corp. and CAW locals representing employees of the waterway, which is a major transportation route for iron and other commodities.

The announcement comes three days after the auto workers’ union said it had issued a 72-hour strike notice to St. Lawrence Seaway Management.

Monday’s announcement means the CAW workers, which include about 475 supervisory, operations, maintenance and headquarters staff, will not walk off the job Monday.

The company controls two locks in the St. Lawrence River and eight locks in the Welland Canal. In August, a total of 4.5 million tonnes of iron ore were shipped through the seaway, which was opened in 1959 and essentially allows ships up to 740 feet long and up to 78 feet in the beam to pass between the Atlantic Ocean and Lake Erie, which is more than 500 feet above sea level.

The CAW, which has seaway workers belonging to locals 4211, 4212, 4319, 4320 and 4324, said its bargaining committee is unanimous in recommending the workers accept the three-year agreements.

Ratification meetings will be scheduled over the coming days and will occur over the next two weeks, where members can vote on the new contracts. Details of the agreement and the vote will be released following the completion of the meetings.

DCN DIGITAL MEDIA

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