(Montreal) Strikers from the St. Lawrence Seaway Management Corporation began a demonstration Monday morning in Saint-Lambert, in Montérégie, around thirty hours after initiating a work stoppage.
Negotiations that preceded the strike did not result in an agreement deemed satisfactory to Unifor union members.
The demonstration takes place near Rue des Écluses, the road connecting Route 112 to the Victoria Bridge. No obstruction to vehicle traffic was observed.
A 72-hour strike notice was filed Oct. 18 by the union that represents some 360 Seaway workers. Unifor’s Quebec director, Daniel Cloutier, said in a statement that the union remained open to discussion.
Early Monday morning, Unifor communications representative Véronique Figliuzzi reported that no negotiating meetings were yet scheduled.
Unifor reports that the main sticking point is the salary issue. On Sunday, the union said the two sides were still “1,000 nautical miles” apart on the issue.
For its part, the Seaway Management Corporation said it would like a decision to be made under the Canada Labor Code for the union to provide employees during the strike to ensure that ships involved in the transportation of grain can continue to pass through the system.
