VANCOUVER — Seaspan Marine and the union that represents its tugboat officers and deckhands have signed an agreement to enter into arbitration following meetings with federal Labour Minister Kellie Leitch, averting possible job action by the masters, mates and engineers that could have taken place as early as Sunday.
In an announcement Tuesday, Seaspan said it will defer its unilateral implementation of a new contract on the members of the Canadian Merchant Service Guild that it employs, that was a key element in the escalation of the labour dispute between the company and the two unions representing its tugboat crews.
A work stoppage by Seaspan would have a significant impact on Port Metro Vancouver operations with Seaspan handling about 70 per cent of ship-docking and escort duties in the port. Seaspan tugboats, including three positioned in Victoria, help a variety of vessels to safely dock, including container ships, cruise ships, bulk carriers and oil tankers.
The union representing deckhands and cooks on Seaspan tugs remains in discussions with Leitch, and that union’s president remains hopeful the meeting will help avert job action by its 350 members that could begin as early as Sunday at noon.
Earlier Tuesday, the International Longshore and Warehouse Union Local 400 voted unanimously in favour of striking rather than accepting terms of a new collective agreement being imposed on them. But they are holding off on serving 72-hour notice before concluding meetings with Leitch.
“We believe the minister can assist us in resolving this issue,” said Terry Engler, president of the International Longshore and Warehouse Union Local 400. “She seems to be interested in doing that, so we’re in a bit of a holding pattern at this point and guardedly optimistic.”
Engler said he met with Leitch for an hour Tuesday morning, then had to break to hold the meeting for Local 400’s strike vote, which he characterized as “the largest meeting we’ve had at our union for a long time,” with a 100-per-cent vote in favour as its result.
The time to reach a resolution, however, is short, Engler said. If Seaspan has not withdrawn its position on the new contract and the sides are not back in negotiations by noon on Thursday, the union will serve its strike notice to time its job action for noon Sunday.
Engler said it would be the union’s first strike since the local was formed in the 1950s.
The labour dispute is erupting as cruise ships arrive on B.C.’s west coast to carry passengers to and from Alaska. Cruise ships are expected to bring 450,000 passengers and crew to the capital region during 200-plus stops this year, delivering millions of dollars into the local economy.
Shawn McBride, spokesman for King Bros. Ltd. custom brokers and ships’ agents, said Seaspan tugs based at Ogden Point are used to help cruise ships using the mooring dolphin at Pier B.
When tying up at the mooring dolphin, “they just take one line thrown from the ship onto the tug and then the tug escorts it over to the mooring dolphin and hands it to the longshoremen,” he said.
At times, Kings Bros. calls on Seaspan tugs for other work further offshore or to assist in berthing other types of vessels, McBride said.
Tourism consultant Frank Bourree, partner in Chemistry Consulting, said “any labour dispute out there in the height of the season is not a happy thought. We have a very short cruise-ship season.”
Cruise line owners are “very sensitive to labour issues and any kind of confrontation for their guests. It’s somewhat fragile, I think. They have other options. They don’t have to come to Victoria.”
Seaspan tugs are called in to help manoeuvre ships in and out of their berths at Ogden Point in cases of difficulty, for example, if there is a mechanical issue, Rebecca Penz, Greater Victoria Harbour Authority spokeswoman said. Most cruise ships do not rely on tugs, she said.
Doug Crowder, chief financial officer at Ralmax Group of Companies, said Seaspan tugs are used periodically for barges carrying Ellice Recycle materials and for work related to Point Hope Maritime and for Salish Sea Services.
