Labour disruptions on the West Coast temporarily expanded north from
Vancouver to Prince Rupert, B.C., last week.
Locked out grain workers at the Port of Vancouver set up picket lines
at the Port of Prince Rupert on the morning of Sept. 10, but by the end
of the following day a judge granted Prince Rupert Grain Ltd. an
injunction to stop the protest.
The union said the five grain companies that employ the 650 locked out
workers are escaping the consequences of their actions by rerouting
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grain to the terminal they jointly own, which is 1,500 kilometres north
of Vancouver.
“Prince Rupert Grain is clearly a common employer. It is owned by the
same companies. They can’t lock out their employees and expect business
to continue as usual,” said Ron Burton, secretary-treasurer of
Grainworkers Union Local 333.
But the judge disagreed. He said the union has to come up with proof of
a “functional relationship” between the terminals at the two ports.
Burton said the union will search for that evidence, and if found, will
appeal the decision. In the meantime, the union is ready to go back to
the negotiation table, he said.
The chief negotiator for the grain companies didn’t return calls in
time for publication deadlines.
Grain shippers are relieved the picket lines are down in Prince Rupert
but continue to push for a resolution to the dispute in Vancouver.
“We are pleased that they are back in operation so that we can do the
job we need to do,” said Adrian Measner, executive vice-president of
marketing with the Canadian Wheat Board.
Other shippers are expressing frustration over the fourth Canadian port
disruption in as many years.
“The Canadian special crops industry has been dodging balls from the
wrath of Mother Nature over the last two crop years,” said Canadian
Special Crops Association president Scott Cunningham. “These challenges
are to be expected as acceptable risks in the agri-food sector. What is
not acceptable, however, is manmade risk that is totally preventable,
such as port closures due to labour disruptions.”
