Canadian Seaway Workers on Brink of Strike

The Canada-based union, Unifor, representing more than 350 St. Lawrence Seaway workers, returned to the bargaining table on Friday, a day after formal talks were slated to conclude, and remains committed to negotiating.

The union’s Locals 4211, 4212 and 4323 in Ontario and Locals 4319 and 4320 in Quebec, had given notice of a strike on Wednesday and plans are in place to now walk-off the job just after midnight on Sunday, October 22 should the extended talks fail.

On Thursday evening, union lead negotiator, John Hockey, said that talks remained “1000 nautical miles apart on wages.”

The union workers of the St. Lawrence Seaway Management Corporation (SLSMC) play a major role in the operations of 13 locks along the St. Lawrence Seaway, a vital throughfare from the Atlantic Ocean to the upper Great Lakes and have been on the job this shipping season despite an expired contract on March 31.
“Unifor is committed to getting a collective agreement but at this moment the employer is not,” said Lana Payne, Unifor National President. “We are staring down a strike deadline and it’s time for St. Lawrence Seaway Management Corporation to get serious.”

Negotiations with the employer began back in June with additional dates in September. The parties decided to use a conciliator to facilitate discussions from the onset of bargaining. All parties returned to the negotiation table earlier this week and, under agreement of 72-hour notice, the union informed SLSMC on Wednesday of the impending strike.

“It’s really up to the employer at this point to seal this deal and avoid any transit disruption,” said Daniel Cloutier, Unifor Quebec Director. “These are jobs that require intense training, a high level of understanding of the health and safety risks, and that carry enormous responsibility for the wellbeing of seafarers and their cargo. They are irreplaceable.”

Despite the strong push from the union, SLSMC has remained confident that a satisfactory resolution can be reached and remains committed to obtaining a fair settlement.

Earlier in the day Thursday, SLSMC sent notice to shipping companies outlining a shutdown of the Seaway with cutoff times in which vessel must clear various sections to avoid being stuck in the system. One cruise ship that remains in the Seaway system on Thursday afternoon west of the Welland Canal has since altered its travel plans in an effort to reach the Welland Canal and Montreal ahead of any shutdown.

Aside from the 13 Canadian locks, the United States operates 2 locks on the Seaway, both in Massena, NY, which would also be forced to shutdown since no ship traffic would be able to reach that point on the waterway. The Great Lakes St. Lawrence Seaway Development Corporation (GLS), part of the US Department of Transportation, has not formally commented. Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg shared on social media, “our team is monitoring the potential of a Canadian worker strike in the Great Lakes St. Lawrence Seaway and has notified cargo operators about potential impacts to shipments along the Seaway.”

This week, leaders and delegates from shipping companies, ports, and the Seaway system, converged for the annual Highway H2o Conference in Toronto. According to one participant, talk of the strike was minimal from the podium, however scuttlebutt amongst attendees was rampant. There was some talk of potential for the Canadian government to intervene to prevent a walk-off, though unconfirmed.

The strike potential comes at the most inopportune time from the agriculture industry. The
John Taylor of Collwest Grain in Collingwood, Ontario said the impact of a strike “could be huge, we are in the middle of harvest and ship a lot of grain through the Port of Hamilton.”

The binational St. Lawrence Seaway’s 15 locks (13 Canadian and 2 American) serve as the linchpin within the broader waterway, connecting the lower St. Lawrence River to the Great Lakes, enabling ships to transit between Montreal and Lake Erie, a difference in elevation of more than 550 feet (168 meters). Over 200 million tons of cargo travel on the waterway on an annual basis.

Michael Folsom, GCaptain

Keewatin Tow to Kingston Delayed Again

Due to unforeseen circumstances at the shipyard, the departure and arrival of S.S. Keewatin has been delayed. No new date has been announced.

“There are a number of moving pieces as we prepare for this historic voyage, and we appreciate your patience, understanding and support during this time. Please help us by sharing these updates to your community so everyone has the latest information,” read a post on Facebook from Keewatin News.
The vessel has been at Heddle Marine in Hamilton, ON, where it has been undergoing renovations during the summer.

“The arrival of SS Keewatin in Kingston will mark the start of the next chapter of her life, one in which we hope she will make many new friends and admirers,” Chris West, the chair of the board for the Great Lakes Museum, said in a news release.

“We encourage anyone with an interest in ships like the Titanic, in Canadian history, and in maritime heritage to visit us in Kingston starting next spring to enjoy the Keewatin and all our museum has to offer,” West added.

The Keewatin was docked in Port McNicholl until earlier this year when it was donated to the museum, the only organization that showed the willingness and the financial resources to preserve it.
“We are pleased to steward the Keewatin through the next phase of its life here in Kingston and ensure she is adequately preserved for current and future generations,” West said. “We are extremely thankful to our many supportive members, donors, volunteers, staff, and board members for their help in preserving this important artifact.”

The Keewatin was built in Scotland in 1907 and sailed between Port McNicholl and Thunder Bay until it was retired from service in 1965. The ship was sold to an American and operated as a tourist attraction in Michigan before being returned to Port McNicholl in 2012 It was last open for public tours in 2019, prior to the COVID-19 pandemic.
According to the museum, of the 3,800 similar ships built in the U.K. between 1900 and 1920, the Keewatin is one of only three to survive and it is the last of its kind on the Great Lakes.
Keewatin News

Ocean Navigator Voyage Canceled after Portland Fire

A cruise ship that caught fire following a possible explosion on Wednesday in Portland will not complete its voyage. American Queen Voyages, the company that owns the 286-foot Ocean Navigator, announced Thursday that the vessel will not be departing Portland to travel to St. John, New Brunswick, as planned.

“We deeply regret any inconvenience this may cause our passengers, and we want to emphasize that this decision was not made lightly,” the company wrote in a statement.

Firefighters responded to the vessel docked at the Ocean Gateway Pier at 7:25 a.m. on Wednesday. Smoke was reported in the engine room, and that there had been a possible explosion related to a generator there, according to the Portland Fire Department.

The situation was brought under control in less than 15 minutes, Sean Donaghue, the department’s spokesperson, said. “The ship’s crew was well-trained, and they had made a pretty good attack by the time we arrived,” Donaghue said.

Despite the quick resolution, the company said it was canceling the rest of the trip out of concern for damage from the fire and “adverse weather conditions” forecast for the weekend.

The vessel, which recently completed its Great Lakes cruising season, was carrying 128 passengers and 82 crew at the time of the fire. One crew member was reported taken to a local hospital Wednesday for treatment of non-life-threatening injuries. There was no update on the crewperson’s condition Thursday. No one else was hurt.

A company spokesperson said Thursday that American Queen is making alternative travel arrangements for the vessel’s passengers.

Spectrum News