St. Lawrence Seaway workers vote in favour of strike
The St. Lawrence Seaway’s unionized workers in Canada have voted in favour of a strike as renegotiation of their contracts continues with an Oct. 21 strike deadline approaching.
Unifor locals 4212, 4323, and 4320 represent St. Lawrence Seaway Management Corp. employees whose contracts expired on March 31. The union and management met for bargaining dates on June 19-20, and Sept. 25-29, with the assistance of a conciliator. There are three more days of bargaining scheduled for next week, Oct. 17-19, but Unifor announced the results of the locals’ strike votes Thursday, saying 99 per cent of those who cast ballots voted to strike on Oct. 21 if a deal isn’t reached.
The three locals represent employees at the St. Lawrence Seaway Management Corp.’s headquarters in Cornwall, along with operational and maintenance staff members based along the seaway in Ontario and Quebec. These contracts are not in play for the Great Lakes St. Lawrence Seaway Development Corp. employees who work at the seaway’s two locks near Massena, N.Y.
A statement from Unifor quoting national president Lana Payne suggested wages were one of the issues yet to be resolved, as she called on the seaway and federal government to meet the unions’ wage expectations. The statement didn’t indicate what the union is seeking in the next contract.
The wage scales included in the locals’ contracts that expired in 2021 covered a range from $56,700 to $86,590 a year.
The St. Lawrence Seaway Management Corp. and the Great Lakes St. Lawrence Seaway Development Corp. issued a joint notification on Thursday regarding bargaining with the Canadian unionized employees, indicating the SLSMC remains confident a deal can be reached. If not, contingency planning is underway and the notification also included a warning to mariners.
Fraser CEO shares details on plans to expand, add jobs in Superior
Fraser Industries CEO Patrick Kelly projects his company will more than double its gross revenue and add 100 employees by 2025 as the Superior commercial and military shipbuilder expands operations.
Kelly tells WisBusiness.com he’s using his past experience at companies such as Amoco and BP raising capital and then working for private equity firms turning dwindling companies into more profitable ventures. He expects to finalize all the remaining formalities to secure investments needed to expand the shipyard and other operations before the end of the year.
Fraser also projects its headcount in Superior will grow up to 375 from a little more than 200 in 2022 in order to meet demands, according to documents exclusively provided to WisBusiness.com.
“Today, we have over a three-year — up to a four-year — backlog of boats to be built,” Kelly said, using boats to define everything from commercial ships to 30 foot Lake Assault Boats. “And so this [expansion] recognizes that and says, as we build additional floor space, I fill it immediately.”
The 133-year-old private company has a 600-foot drydock and another 800-foot drdock in Superior, facilitating major repairs and shipbuilding projects that might otherwise need to take place on the West Coast or East Coast.
Fraser projects gross revenue to grow to $102.4 million by 2025 from $42.5 million reported in 2022.
Expanding train and rail operations while making Fraser a public port — opening up 7,500 square feet of dock space — are some of the ways Kelly and his partners are bringing in more business.
The company’s Superior shipyard previously only used about 15 acres of the 60-acre property. But that extra land is now generating revenue since Fraser opened up a cargo terminal, looked to add railroad spur lines and started doing rail repair and paint services.
