Canadian Manufacturers & Exporters (CME) says the shut down of the St. Lawrence Seaway by striking dockworkers is another “interruption at the heart of the supply chain, and manufacturers are once again being held hostage.”
“This labor dispute will have a major impact on our businesses. The seaway is a key economic artery for Quebec, Ontario and Eastern Canada. In 2022, about 36.3 million metric tons of cargo valued at $16.7 billion passed through the St. Lawrence Seaway’s infrastructure, generating a total of nearly $6 billion in economic activity and supporting over 42,000 jobs in Canada. We encourage the parties involved to negotiate an agreement as soon as possible to put an end to this situation,” CME said in a release.
CME has been urging the federal government to proactively address the increasingly frequent supply chain disruptions in order to preserve Canada’s competitiveness and global reputation, as well as provide much needed stability to Canadian manufacturers.”
Strike action by the UNIFOR union locals started just after midnight on October 22nd. Later that day, the parties met individually with Federal Labour Minister Seamus O’Regan and Transport Minister Pablo Rodriguez, who urged them to return to the table.
The St. Lawrence Seaway Management Corporation (SLSMC) said today it’s pleased with the planned resumption of talks with UNIFOR as of Friday morning, October 27th, as confirmed by Government of Canada’s Federal Mediation and Conciliation Services.
