St. Lawrence Seaway strike: Legault and Ford issue joint plea for quick resolution

Quebec Premier Francois Legault and his Ontario counterpart Doug Ford are calling for a "rapid resolution" to the St. Lawrence Seaway strike, citing risk of "significant harm" to their provincial economies.

Hundreds of workers at the marine shipping route have been on the picket line since Sunday after negotiations broke down between union representatives and the St. Lawrence Seaway Management Corp (SLSMC).

In a joint statement issued Thursday, Legault and Ford urged the parties not to drag their feet at the bargaining table.

"Businesses and people across the country will soon be feeling the broader impacts if this disruption continues," they wrote, noting that "nearly $17 billion in goods" were transported through the corridor in 2022.

The seaway links the Atlantic Ocean to the Great Lakes through a system of 15 locks between Lake Erie and Montreal.

"We're pleased that the parties are returning to the table later this week. However, we need all sides to come to an agreement right away. If that doesn't happen, the federal government needs to use whatever tools it has available to support a resolution that is fair for workers and brings this strike to an end as quickly as possible," the joint statement continues.

The Canadian Chamber of Commerce and the Canadian Federation of Independent Business have also urged the federal government to intervene in recent days.

There are fears of recreating the July port dispute in British Columbia, which paralyzed supply chains across the country for weeks.

"We cannot have a repeat of the B.C. port strike that occurred earlier this year. The economic stakes are too high, with tens of millions of dollars lost every day the seaway continues to be closed. The federal government has a responsibility to act urgently to protect and guarantee our supply chains, including the cross-border movement of essential goods across the Canada-U.S. border," the statement from Legault and Ford concludes.

Speaking to reporters on Parliament Hill Thursday, federal Labour Minister Seamus O'Regan responded to the premiers' statements.

"The importance of the seaway is not lost on me. I'd encourage the premiers [Ford and Legault] to tell the parties how badly we need them to come to a deal, that's for sure. Send that message loud and clear to the employer and to the union," he said.

"I'll be flying to the table after Question Period today. We need a deal. We need them at the table. We need a deal, we need a deal, we need a deal."

The approximately 360 striking workers at the St. Lawrence Seaway are fighting for higher wages to keep up with the rising cost of living, according to their Unifor union.

Meanwhile, the SLSMC says it's working to reach an agreement that balances wage demands and market realities, arguing that seaway worker wages have exceeded inflation over the past 20 years.  

With files from the Canadian Press.