Picket lines have been set up at six grain terminals in Metro Vancouver after employees kicked off a strike. The Canadian Press reported Tuesday more than 600 workers represented by Grain Workers Union (GWU) Local 333 started to strike. GWU Local 333 President Douglas Lea-Smith said the Vancouver Terminal Elevators’ Association (VTEA) has to return to the bargaining table to secure a resolution. To try to resolve a potential strike, GWU Local 333 said it provided the VTEA with a comprehensive package on Thursday. However, the VTEA did not make a counteroffer on Friday. While the strike had been looming for a while, the VTEA said it ended conciliation with GWU Local 333 with help from the Federal Mediation and Conciliation Service on August 26, although they did not reach a deal. The terminals that are affected by the strike are Viterra’s Cascadia and Pacific Terminal, Richardson International Terminal, Cargill Limited Terminal, G3 Terminal Vancouver, and Alliance Grain Terminal. All of these terminals are located in Vancouver and North Vancouver, BC. Canada was on the brink of its fifth major strike affecting transportation infrastructure in a little more than one year on Monday, as grain workers in Metro Vancouver prepared to walk off the job..Canada faces fifth major transportation strike, this time threatening grain exports.The potential strike by GWU Local 333 would stop all shipments of bulk grain, disrupting Canada’s grain export supply chain.This strike comes as grain farmers are finishing their fall harvest.
