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Strike on St. Lawrence Seaway could mean problems for local port

THUNDER BAY -- A strike on the St. Lawrence Seaway could have major implications for the local port authority. Unifor represents workers at 13 of the 16 locks along the seaway.
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Thunder Bay Port Authority CEO Tim Heney. (Jamie Smith, tbnewswatch.com)

THUNDER BAY -- A strike on the St. Lawrence Seaway could have major implications for the local port authority.

Unifor represents workers at 13 of the 16 locks along the seaway. Currently in contract negotiations the union is worried that a move to have hands-free mooring means less staff on hand in case of emergencies.

By 2018 all locks across the seaway will be automated.

About 96 per cent of the 460 workers voted in favour of a strike, which is now 72 hours away unless a settlement is reached.

Thunder Bay is the largest export port in the system with 80 per cent of its grain shipments heading through the locks. Port Authority Tim Heney said the 72-hour notice for a strike has been seen during the past two rounds of negotiations but a shutdown has always been avoided.

"We're certainly hoping that happens again," he said.

Farmers in the west would be impacted along with the steel industry in Canada and the U.S.

"I imagine there would be heavy pressure to bring that to a quick end if there was a strike," Heney said.

"It would result in a shutdown of the seaway."

The shutdown would allow for ships already loaded to get out. Thunder Bay is currently shipping about a million tonnes of grain a month. There is plenty of competition from alternate routes, another concern for the port should a strike happen.

"We are very concerned that we maintain that efficient shipping route," Heney said.





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