Unifor members working for the St. Lawrence Seaway Management Corporation (SLSMC) reached tentative agreements with their employer on Sept. 16, following conciliation talks held in Kingston.

The agreements cover 320 workers in the Maintenance and Operations group and the Engineering and Supervisory group. These members facilitate vessel transit through the Great Lakes and along the St. Lawrence Seaway to the Atlantic Ocean.

“Our members play a critical role in operating one of the country’s most strategically important pieces of economic infrastructure. Throughout these negotiations, they demonstrated that when workers remain united and stand together, they have real power to advance their priorities,” said Unifor National President Lana Payne.

The agreements were reached after several months of negotiations and on the eve of the deadline to issue 72-hour strike notice.

“Negotiations like these require tenacity, discipline and tremendous solidarity. For several months, the bargaining committees defended members’ interests with determination and never lost sight of their priorities. The work that brought us to these tentative agreements deserves to be fully recognized,” said Unifor Quebec Director Daniel Cloutier.

Members will hold ratification meetings to review the proposed changes, ask questions of their bargaining committee representatives and vote on the tentative agreements.

Feature photo courtesy of Unifor