Canadian strike could impede 'salties' bound for the Duluth-Superior harbor

Hundreds of striking workers in Canada have brought shipping to a standstill on the St. Lawrence Seaway, a move that could potentially have impacts on ocean-going ships traveling to and from the Duluth-Superior harbor.

Workers with the union UNIFOR went on strike Sunday morning from the St. Lawrence Seaway Management Corporation, which manages the Canadian portion of the Seaway, including 13 of the 15 locks between Montreal and Lake Erie.

That effectively halts shipping traffic along the Seaway, a system of canals and locks that connects the Great Lakes to the Atlantic Ocean.

“This situation affects oceangoing activity for the entire Great Lakes-St. Lawrence Seaway System, which makes it everyone’s concern,” said Deb DeLuca, executive director of the Duluth Seaway Port Authority.

The union gave 72-hour strike notification as required under Canadian law last Wednesday. That allowed for ships within the Seaway to exit the system. “But there are over 100 vessels outside the system, which are impacted by the situation,” the St. Lawrence Seaway Management Corporation said in a statement.

One of those ships includes the 656-foot Isadora, which Monday afternoon was loading with grain in Duluth, eventually bound for Algeria.

While the ship could leave Duluth and sail through the lower Great Lakes, it won’t be able to transit the St. Lawrence Seaway to the Atlantic Ocean until the strike is resolved.

Ocean-going vessels that travel to Duluth-Superior — the country’s farthest inland freshwater seaport — are often called “salties.”

“If there isn't a prompt resolution to this strike, it could be a situation where that ‘saltie’ cannot leave the Great Lakes St. Lawrence Seaway system,” said Jayson Hron with the Duluth Seaway Port Authority.

Hron said there are at least three or four other ships scheduled to come to Duluth later this fall to pick up grain that could be impeded by the strike, the first midseason closure of the St. Lawrence Seaway caused by labor issues in 55 years.

Grain is the largest export commodity shipped out of the Duluth-Superior harbor. Durum and spring wheat from western Minnesota and the Dakotas are frequently transported to ports around the Mediterranean, where it’s made into pasta and couscous.

Other vessels are scheduled to arrive this fall with imports to support regional manufacturing.

“This strike is a rarity and something that is a real challenge and will have cascading effects throughout the Great Lakes St. Lawrence Seaway system, especially now during peak grain harvest season,” said Hron.

Unifor is Canada's largest union in the private sector and represents 315,000 workers throughout the economy. 

“These are jobs that require intense training, a high level of understanding of the health and safety risks, and that carry enormous responsibility for the wellbeing of seafarers and their cargo,” said Daniel Cloutier, Unifor’s Quebec director.

The St. Lawrence Seaway Management Corporation said the union is insisting on “wage increases inspired by automotive-type negotiations, while the SLSMC works to find a fair and competitive labor agreement that balances wage demands and market realities.”

Shipping officials in Duluth and elsewhere are calling on both sides to reach a resolution quickly.

“System stakeholders, including the Port of Duluth-Superior, its terminals, workers and cargo owners, are experiencing economic and reputational harm as a result of this impasse,” DeLuca said.

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