'This is going to get worse before it gets better': Shipyard workers vote overwhelmingly in favour of strike
A large-scale strike by Seaspan workers at the Esquimalt Graving Dock is a real possibility after an overwhelming vote in favour of a strike mandate by unionized workers.
According to the local chapter of the International Brotherhood of Boilermakers, Iron Ship Builders, Blacksmiths, Forgers and Helpers, a vote Thursday came back with 98 per cent in favour of a strike mandate.
“This is going to get worse before it gets better,” said Local 191 spokesperson Robert Taylor.
According to the union, this vote sends a clear message to their employer about how upset workers are, although it does not necessarily launch a strike.
Friday morning, Local 191 issued the results of their strike mandate vote to Seaspan.
Union representatives say they expect a response by Monday next week.
They also say if the results of the vote don’t lead to meaningful discussion and contract negotiation, they could issue a 72-hour strike notice and eventually walk off the job as soon as late next week.
“(Seaspan’s) method of bargaining is a one-sided approach. They aren’t reasonable,” said Taylor.
As many as 1,400 workers from 11 different trade unions could take job action, ranging from boilermakers to electricians to sheet metal workers.
Members say they're upset with Seaspan's latest offer for a new contract, which they say would reduce breaks, adjust work weeks, and doesn't keep up with inflation.
CTV News has reached out to Seaspan for a comment on the results of this vote. A response is expected Friday afternoon.
Seaspan Victoria's operations include maintenance and repair for cruise ships and ferries, as well as work on frigates and submarines for Canadian Forces Base Esquimalt.
The navy base says it doesn't want to get in the middle of the dispute, and that it's investigating what a possible strike could mean for the base. It says a strike could result in adjusting work schedules and maintenance on its vessels.
Correction
This story has been updated to clarify that the Seaspan does not own the Esquimalt Graving Dock. The dock is federally owned and the company is one of several that operates there.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Bodies found by U.S. authorities searching for missing B.C. kayakers
United States authorities who have been searching for a pair of missing kayakers from British Columbia since the weekend have recovered two bodies in the nearby San Juan Islands of Washington state.
Amid concerns over 'collateral damage' Trudeau, Freeland defend capital gains tax change
Facing pushback from physicians and businesspeople over the coming increase to the capital gains inclusion rate, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and his deputy Chrystia Freeland are standing by their plan to target Canada's highest earners.
'It's discriminatory': Individuals refused entry to Ontario legislature for wearing keffiyeh
Individuals being barred from entering Ontario’s legislature while wearing a keffiyeh say the garment is part of their cultural identity— and the only ones making it political are the politicians banning it.
Tom Mulcair: Park littered with trash after 'pilot project' is perfect symbol of Trudeau governance
Former NDP leader Tom Mulcair says that what's happening now in a trash-littered federal park in Quebec is a perfect metaphor for how the Trudeau government runs things.
Saskatchewan households will continue to receive carbon tax rebate: Trudeau
Households in Saskatchewan will continue to receive Canada Carbon Rebate payments, despite the province refusing to remit the federal carbon price on natural gas, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said Tuesday.
'It's just so hard to let it go': Umar Zameer still haunted by death of Toronto police officer
“It's just so hard to let it go. I mean, everyone is telling me, ‘you have to move on,’ but I know someone is not here [anymore]. So I don't know how I will move on." That’s what Umar Zameer, the man recently acquitted in the death of a Toronto police officer, told CTV News Toronto in a sit-down interview on Tuesday.
Senate expenses climbed to $7.2 million in 2023, up nearly 30%
Senators in Canada claimed $7.2 million in expenses in 2023, a nearly 30 per cent increase over the previous year.
Canucks goalie Thatcher Demko won't play in Game 2
The Vancouver Canucks will be without all-star goalie Thatcher Demko when they face the Nashville Predators in Game 2 of their first-round playoff series.
Pedestrian, baby injured after stroller struck and dragged by vehicle in Squamish, B.C.
Police say a baby and a pedestrian suffered non-life-threatening injuries after a vehicle struck a baby stroller and dragged it for two blocks before stopping in Squamish, B.C.