(file photo/farmnewsNOW Staff)

By Alice McFarlane

Grain Terminals Strike

National Farmers Union wants Port of Vancouver strike to be resolved through negotiation

Sep 26, 2024 | 6:43 PM

While many farm groups have expressed disappointment and concern with a strike at grain terminals at Vancouver, one organization wants the two sides to work things out on their own.

The National Farmers Union (NFU) said it stands in solidarity with Port of Vancouver Grain Workers Union members (GWU) who are exercising the right of organized labour to strike to advance their collective bargaining demands, including fair wages and good working conditions.

NFU member Cam Goff said the group recognizes how disruptive labour action grain shipments are during harvest season. But the elevator companies involved are some of the world’s largest, most profitable grain companies who can easily afford to pay fair prices for grain and pay workers fairly for their labour.

“This work stoppage will remind everyone of the critical role workers play in getting our grain to market,” Goff said. It has always been our position that a negotiated settlement is best, and we hope they will reach a fair agreement quickly.”

Bargaining began in November 2023. Nearly a year later negotiations with the Vancouver Terminal Elevator Association (VTEA) reached an impasse and GWU initiated strike action.

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The VTEA members are Cascadia Terminal (owned 75 per cent by Viterra and 25 per cent by Richardson International), Pacific Terminal (Viterra), Richardson International Terminal, Cargill Limited Terminal, G3 Terminal Vancouver (Owned by Bunge and SALIC) and Alliance Grain Terminal (Paterson GlobalFoods, Parrish & Heimbecker and North West Terminal).