Unifor ratifies agreement with Seaway

Unifor members at the St. Lawrence Seaway Management Corporation (SLSMC) have ratified new three-year collective agreements.

The maintenance, operations and clerical group voted 85 percent in favour, and the supervisory group voted 87 percent in favour.

The ratification follows a strike that halted transit along the Seaway from October 22 to October 30, 2023.

“The collective agreement reflects the important contributions Seaway employees make every day to keep this critical transportation corridor moving and delivering for local, regional and binational economies,” said SLSMC president and CEO Terence Bowles.

“In particular we thank employees for their hard work and cooperation in recent days to support the safe and efficient reopening of the Seaway to shipping traffic.”

The agreements cover Unifor members at Locals 4211, 4212 and 4323 in Ontario and Locals 4319 and 4320 in Quebec, who work in the supervisory and engineering group and the maintenance, operations, and clerical group. Wages will see annual increases of five percent, four percent and four percent, retroactive to April 1st, 2023, along with a $2,000 signing bonus.

Since the resumption of navigation at 7:00 a.m. October 30th, SLSMC teams have worked together with marine industry partners to clear the backlog of waiting vessels throughout the system. By November 1st, the re-opening plan had been fully implemented.