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Port dispute continues

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Published: September 19, 2002

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.”

About the author

Sean Pratt

Sean Pratt

Reporter/Analyst

Sean Pratt has been working at The Western Producer since 1993 after graduating from the University of Regina’s School of Journalism. Sean also has a Bachelor of Commerce degree from the University of Saskatchewan and worked in a bank for a few years before switching careers. Sean primarily writes markets and policy stories about the grain industry and has attended more than 100 conferences over the past three decades. He has received awards from the Canadian Farm Writers Federation, North American Agricultural Journalists and the American Agricultural Editors Association.

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