EDITOR’S NOTE: About two and half hours after press time, IARN received word from the Soy Transportation Coalition that the strike has been suspended and a temporary agreement has been reached. Mike Steenhoek released the following statement:
“We are pleased the strike was short-lived. Supply chains are a two-way street. Those who provide and operate supply chain options – like the Great Lakes/St. Lawrence Seaway – request and expect predictability and reliability from shippers regarding the expected usage of the supply chain option. On the other hand, shippers – including agricultural exporters – rightfully expect the supply chain to be a predictable and reliable option if they are expected to utilize it. Whenever a strike or slowdown occurs, that predictability and reliability are called into question. During this time of supply chain challenges and uncertainty, we are pleased the two parties arrived at an agreement so that the Great Lakes/St. Lawrence Seaway can be a viable option for the U.S. soybean industry to meet the needs of our international customers.”
As we deal with the difficulties of shipping on the Mississippi River, we have had to look at different ways to ship our goods overseas. While it doesn’t account for more than a small percentage of the ag goods we ship, the Great Lakes and the St. Lawrence Seaway do provide us with another waterway to use.
However, there are issues with that avenue as well. It isn’t water levels; it is labor disputes.
Mike Steenhoek of the Soy Transportation Coalition says that the union that operates the locks between the Great Lakes has gone on strike.
Steenhoek says that we need to ensure we have every available avenue to use in case we need them.
Seaway Management offered a pay increase of just under nine percent. The Union immediately rejected this. Unifor’s national president is Lana Payne. She says that the offer was nowhere near what the union was asking for, so they went on strike. However, Paynew says that they are going back to the negotiating table.
Unlike the United States, Canadian Farmers depend heavily on the St. Lawrence Seaway to export their goods. Brenna Mahoney is the General Manager of Manitoba’s Keystone Agricultural Producers.
Canada’s federal government has ordered both sides back to the table.
