Pickets at the entrance to the Esquimalt Graving Dock shut down work by members of the 10 unions working for Seaspan’s Victoria Shipyards for the second day on Friday.
The job action is by the Canadian Merchant Service Workers Guild, whose members run tugs and barges for North Vancouver-based Seaspan. The guild is seeking a new contract with Seaspan, which also owns Vancouver Shipyards and Vancouver Drydock and is responsible for civil ship construction for the federal government, under agreements worth billions of dollars.
Phil Venoit, business manager and financial secretary for Local 230 of the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers, estimated Friday that about 800 union Seaspan employees are not working because of the pickets set up at Admirals and Colville roads.
The total number of people off work could reach 2,000, including federal employees and those working for other companies, he said.
Venoit, who emphasized he was not speaking for the guild, said it has been without a contract since 2019 and members have not had a raise since October 2018.
Shipyard unions, similar to other unions, have provisions in their collective agreements to honour picket lines, he said.
The federal government has its own employees at the graving dock and rents space to other companies, including Seaspan.
Seaspan and the 10 unions with members employed by the company at the graving dock reached a four-year agreement in May.
Public-sector work at Victoria Shipyards has included years of repairs and maintenance on Canada’s submarines and work on B.C. Ferries, as well as contracts to refit and upgrade cruise ships.
As of Friday, a Canadian submarine, HMCS Regina, a Halifax-class frigate, and a tug were at Victoria Shipyards.
The guild is not making public statements beyond a notice posted on its website. It began job strike action Aug. 25 on all of the 30 Seaspan tugs in B.C.
Pickets went up early Thursday at the graving dock in Esquimalt and again on Friday.
Seaspan said in an email Friday it has been unsuccessful in reaching an agreement with the guild.
When the guild began strike action, it set up pickets at the shared access for Vancouver Shipyards in North Vancouver, and for Seaspan’s marine transportation operations and the company’s main offices for its workers from all employee areas, Seaspan said.
On Sept. 1, the B.C. Labour Relations Board rescinded a temporary order for the Vancouver Shipyards union workforce to report to work, Seaspan said.
Vancouver Shipyards unions have told members they do not need to cross the guild’s picket line, the company said. “We are challenging this legally and that process continues.”
