Deal reached for Vancouver grain workers!

On October 7, the Grain Workers Union Local 333 ratified a new collective agreement with the Vancouver Terminal Elevators Association (VTEA), with approximately 67% of union members voting in favor. The strike, which began on September 24 when about 650 workers walked off the job, affected six terminals in Vancouver; Richardson, Cargill, Alliance Grain, G3, Cascadia and Pacific.
Fortunately both sides, with the help of a federal mediator, were able to come to a relatively swift agreement and a tentative deal was struck four days later, with grain workers returning to work on September 28. The new contract will run through to December 31, 2027 and will quell fears over significant export losses during the current Prairie harvest season. The Grain Growers of Canada had estimated $35 million in losses from each day the strike continued.
This deal, along with the longshoreman’s new contract last summer and the recent Canada Industrial Relations Board decision to impose binding arbitration on the Teamsters Rail Conference and both national railways, Canadian National and Canadian Pacific Kansas City will hopefully lead to period of tranquility for the Port of Vancouver.