Canada's Unifor union ratifies labor deal with St. Lawrence Seaway (updated)

Carbon Energy

03/11/2023 02:50

(Recast with details from statement, adds background in
paragraphs 3-5)
       Nov 2 (Reuters) - The Unifor union said on Thursday
members representing St. Lawrence Seaway workers in eastern
Canada had ratified new collective agreements that would
increase wages, days after a tentative deal ended a week-long
strike on a key trade route.
    The Unifor union, representing some 360 workers, voted to
ratify annual wage increases of 5%, 4% and 4%, retroactive to
April 1, 2023, along with a $2,000 signing bonus, it said in a
statement. 
    The union on Sunday ended the strike that shut down a key
North American trade route when it agreed to the tentative deal
with the St. Lawrence Seaway Management Corp covering
engineering, maintenance and other worker groups in Ontario and
Quebec provinces.
    The St. Lawrence Seaway links the Great Lakes to the
Atlantic Ocean and is managed by the Canadian not-for-profit
Seaway Corp along with the U.S. Great Lakes St. Lawrence Seaway
Development Corporation.
    The walkout affected about 150 vessels over the one-week
period and impeded the movement of grains and other commodities.
About C$34 million  ($24.74 million) in economic activity was
being disrupted every day, according to the Canadian Chamber of
Commerce.
($1 = 1.3744 Canadian dollars)

 (Reporting by Mrinmay Dey in Bengaluru; Editing by Muralikumar
Anantharaman and Jamie Freed)
 ((Mrinmay.Dey@thomsonreuters.com;))