Prairie grain exports heading west ground to a halt last week after
pickets went up at Prince Rupert, the one remaining open port on the
British Columbia coast.
The Canadian Wheat Board’s west coast marketing plan moved to Prince
Rupert this fall after members of the Grainworkers Union in Vancouver
were locked out Aug. 25.
The entire grain industry waited anxiously for a Canada Labour
Relations Board ruling Nov. 8 to see if workers would be forced to go
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The ruling was expected after The Western Producer’s deadline.
“It’s the same old story. It’s always some union holding us up at the
West Coast,” said Brian Kriz, president of the Grain Growers of Canada,
who urged federal labour minister Claudette Bradshaw to get grain
moving again.
In a statement, CWB chair Ken Ritter said: “There is no way that
farmers should suffer because grain companies and their employees
cannot come to an agreement.”
Last week, the British Columbia Court of Appeal lifted an injunction
prohibiting union pickets at Prince Rupert.
Bob MacPherson, president of the Grainworkers Union, said the pickets
were expanded to Prince Rupert in an effort to force the British
Columbia Terminal Elevator Operators Association in Vancouver back to
the bargaining table.
The two sides are in a dispute over contract issues such as recall
rights for laid-off workers. They’ve been without a contract since Dec.
31, 2000, and this summer both rejected a report by conciliator Vince
Ready.
Prairie grain has been rerouted to the underused northern British
Columbia port since the lockout began at Vancouver Aug. 25.
“Why don’t they get back to the bargaining table so farmers can move
their grain,” said MacPherson from the picket line in Prince Rupert.
“As long as Prince Rupert Grain is operating, if they have another way
to ship their grain, they will stay away from the table,” said
MacPherson of the terminal operators.
Three unions operate at the Prince Rupert port, the 97 Grainworkers
Union members who unload and clean the grain cars, the International
Longshoreman Workers Union members who load the ships, and the Public
Service Alliance of Canada, whose members inspect grain.
Grain shipments from Prince Rupert were halted at midnight Nov. 5
because members of the two other unions would not cross picket lines.
The labour relations board was to decide if the two unions have the
right to honour the grain workers’ line.
Jeff Burghardt, general manager of Prince Rupert Grain, was at the
labour board hearings Friday and was unavailable for comment.
Eric Harris, spokesperson for the B.C. Terminal Elevator Operators
Association, said the companies are determined to get more flexibility
in the contract over scheduling and recalls from layoffs.
Harris said because of the unusual year on the Prairies, only a small
amount of grain was scheduled to be moved in November and the port
shutdown has caused minimal damage to the grain companies.
Barb Isman of the Canola Council of Canada says the lockout has had no
effect on canola shipments.
