Posted on September 25, 2024
VANCOUVER, BRITISH COLUMBIA, CANADA — Grain workers at the Port of Vancouver, British Columbia, could be walking off the job and to picket lines as early as Sept. 24 after the Grain Workers Union (GWU) Local 333 ILWU said it issued a 72-hour strike notice on Sept. 21.
The union, which represents workers at the port’s grain terminals, and the Vancouver Terminal Elevator Association (VTEA), which is the employer bargaining unit for the Vancouver grain terminals, have been negotiating a new labor agreement since November 2023. The employer group of the VTEA is also represented by the Western Grain Elevator Association (WGEA).
The two sides continued negotiating last week, but the GWU said in a Facebook post that its bargaining committee proposed “a comprehensive package” on Sept. 19 and on Sept. 20 the “VTEA indicated it had no counterproposal.” The strike notice was served to the VTEA and Canada’s Minister of Labour, the union said.
Nine bulk grain terminals at the port helped to export 14.7 million tonnes of wheat to 38 different countries in 2023, a 52% year-over-year increase, while canola exports increased 36% to 7 million tonnes and specialty crops grew 30% to 4 million tonnes, according to the port. Canadian grain export volumes increased sharply in 2023, up 39% from 2022.
Companies with grain operations at the Port of Vancouver include Alliance Grain Terminal, Cargill, Cascadia, Fraser Grain Terminal Ltd., G3 Terminal Vancouver and Pacific Elevators, Richardson International.
Located on the southwest coast of British Columbia, the port extends from Roberts Bank and the Fraser River up to and including Burrard Inlet. The port enables the trade of approximately C$300 billion in goods annually, and almost as much cargo moved through the Port of Vancouver in 2023 as moved through Canada’s next five largest ports combined.
