Port of Vancouver grain workers walk off the job

Grain terminal workers at the Port of Vancouver are on strike this morning as shown by video posted by local media on X.

Video from CityNews Vancouver shows workers picketing outside of Viterra’s Cascadia terminal.

On Sept. 21, Grain Workers Union Local 333 issued a 72-hour strike notice to terminal operators represented by the Vancouver Terminal Elevators Association (VTEA).

Affected sites including Viterra’s Cascadia and Pacific Terminals, the Richardson International Terminal, the Cargill Limited Terminal, the G3 Terminal Vancouver and Alliance Grain Terminal according to a notice from the Shipping Federation of Canada. Unaffected sites include Fraser Grain Terminal and Prince Rupert Grain Ltd.

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“I spoke with both GWU and the Vancouver Terminal Elevators’ Association yesterday. At my request, parties have agreed to resume negotiations alongside federal mediators,” said Labour Minister Steven MacKinnon on X.

Commodity groups urged the federal government to take action to keep grain moving.

“Access to export markets is critically important for the Canadian canola industry,” said Canola Council of Canada president and CEO Chris Davison in a statement this morning.

“A work stoppage at the Vancouver grain terminals will cause significant financial and reputational harm at a time when the whole industry, from farmers to processors to exporters are already facing significant market challenges and headwinds.”

In a news release yesterday, Grain Growers of Canada said the terminal elevators at the port received a bit more than half of all grain produced in Canada last year. Citing Canadian Grain Commission data, it estimated a work stoppage would halt nearly 100,000 metric tonnes of grain arriving each day.

—Updated to add statement from labour minister.