Grain terminal workers reach tentative deal, ending 4-day strike

A tentative agreement has been reached in the four-day strike that threatened to disrupt grain shipments across the country.

In a statement, the Western Grain Terminal Elevator Association (WGEA) announced negotiations, which had been stalled, were able to restart Friday under federal mediator Peter Simpson.

It says a tentative deal was reached late in the day between the Grain Workers Union (GWU) and the Vancouver Terminal Elevators' Association (VTEA). The WGEA says the agreement will run through to Dec. 31, 2027. 

Grain Workers Union Local 333 president Douglas Lea-Smith says while he wished there was more in the tentative deal for workers, employees are happy with it. 

"Ultimately, in the end you can't achieve everything. So I still feel really good about it, I think it's positive," Lea-Smith said. "Anytime you can reach an agreement at the bargaining table is the best way to do it." 

Workers at several Metro Vancouver grain terminals walked off the job Tuesday morning. Members of the Grain Workers Union Local 333 headed to picket lines at 7 a.m. PT, three days after serving strike notice. 

Vote to take place Oct. 4

Six facilities were affected, including Viterra's Cascadia and Pacific Terminals, Richardson International Terminal, Cargill Limited Terminal, G3 Terminal Vancouver and Alliance Grain Terminal. 

"There's always an impact [on] workers in these situations. They lost wages, had many nights out in the cold and rain … and also there's always hostile people who come to the picket line," Lea-Smith said. 

WATCH | Some farmers want a ban on work stoppages during harvest: 

Labour disputes create stressful harvest for Canadian farmers

2 months ago

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Many Canadian farmers are relieved that the strike at the Vancouver grain terminal is over. They say a series of recent work stoppages complicated the harvest and made for a stressful season.

Federal Labour Minister Steve MacKinnon thanked the two parties on X, formerly known as Twitter, for coming to an agreement. 

A statement from WGEA said GWU members will continue work pending the ratification vote, which is scheduled for Oct. 4. 

Lea-Smith says the union is very hopeful, and thinks the employer is satisfied. 

"The bargaining committee would not sign a memorandum of agreement under the belief that this is going to fail," he said. "We believe that this is good for our membership."