Grain terminal workers at the port of Vancouver ended a four-day strike on Saturday that disrupted half of Canada’s grain exports at the height of the harvest period.
The Grain Worker Union, which represents 650 employees – including those from Cargill, Richardson International and Veterra – announced Friday evening that the workers would return on Saturday after reaching an agreement with their employer, the Vancouver Terminal Elevator Association.
Negotiations for a new collective agreement had broken down and the Canadian Grain Producers Association, which has 65,000 farmers, had asked the government to intervene to put an end to the strike called Tuesday.
Last year, 52% of all grain production in Canada passed through this Pacific coast port.
Nearly a million tonnes of Canadian grain arrive daily at these terminals, said the association, which like others feared the prolonged impact of a halt in operations on exports from the country, the world’s leading exporter of canola. and the third of wheat.
Steven MacKinnon, Canada’s Minister of Labor, thanked the parties “for doing the work necessary to reach an agreement, as well as the federal mediators for their support.”
Workers will vote on the deal on October 4.