Metro Vancouver grain terminal workers begin strike

Workers at several Metro Vancouver grain terminals walked off the job Tuesday morning.

Workers headed to picket lines at 7 a.m. PT, three days after Grain Workers Union Local 333 served strike notice, in what one industry group is saying 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.

According to Canadian grain farmers, 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.” 

Wade Sobkowich, who represents the VTEA in bargaining as the executive director of the Western Grain Elevator Association, told CBC News on Monday that bargaining has been difficult since negotiations began last November. 

“We’ve given a number of offers to the union. They’ve rejected them all. They haven’t provided any counter offers that come close to addressing the concerns of the employers,” Sobkowich said. “We’re at a stalemate.”

But 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.”

He said despite negotiating alongside federal mediators last month, Grain Workers Union Local 333 could not come to an agreement with the VTEA.

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.