The St. Lawrence Seaway Management Corporation (SLSMC) was served with a notice by the Canadian Auto Workers Union (CAW) at 12:00 noon today of its intent to begin strike action on Monday, October 3rd at 12:00 noon.
The CAW represents the Seaway’s 475 unionized employees.If the unionized workers proceed with strike action, the St. Lawrence Seaway will be closed to all traffic. A contingency plan provides for the orderly shutdown of the system in the event of a labour interruption. Negotiations will continue with a federally appointed mediator in an effort to reach an agreement with unionized employees. The mediator has been working with the parties throughout the latest round of negotiations, which began on September 19, 2011.