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.
The Grain Workers Union Local 333 said it could not come to an agreement with the VTEA over several provisions, including lieu day entitlements for workers.
In a statement Monday, the union called for the Canadian Industrial Relations Board to bring the VTEA back to the table for negotiations.
The union says it’s up to the employer to offer a proposal for a new contract. It says it sent the VTEA a contract last Thursday, and the employer indicated it had no counter-offer.
“Your union will not bargain against itself,” the union said. “We will await their proposal if and when it comes and respond accordingly.”