Port Saint John Welcomes New 7-Year Labor Agreement

Canada’s Port Saint John has praised the Port of Saint John Employers Association (PSJEA) and International Longshoremen’s Association Local 273 (ILA 273) for recently ratifying a new 7-year collective labor agreement. 

The agreement went into effect on October 4, 2015 and is retroactive to January 1, 2015.

”Along with monetary increases, this new contract provides for increased training opportunities for our current employees as well as a mechanism to grow the number of unionized positions within the Port of Saint John” Port of Saint John Employers Association Vice President & General Manager Donald Scott said.

Back in January, the port submitted a CAD 205 million (USD 164.8m) application to the Federal Government’s Building Canada Fund, National Infrastructure Component to modernize its container infrastructure on the west side of the Port over the next seven years. The project is a three-way partnership with the Federal Government, Port Saint John, and the Provincial Government over a seven-year period.

The Federal Government allocated CAD 68.3 million for the west side modernization project in July, with Port Saint John responsible for securing all the remaining funding necessary to complete the project and for any cost overruns.

The project involves improving and consolidating the Rodney and Navy Island terminals to allow the port to accommodate larger vessels. New operational systems and technology will also be installed to enhance cargo-handling capabilities.

The project covers a 60-acre area: 25 acres will be transformed into container storage, 10 acres into a multipurpose yard, and the rest will be used for terminal access roads, stevedoring operations, trans-loading and cargo-consolidation warehouses, and lay-down areas for break-bulk and project cargoes. The main channel at the port will also be deepened from 8.4 to 10 meters as part of the project.

“We are extremely pleased that the PSJEA and ILA 273 have come together to provide labour stability at this critical period of business growth and particularly in light of recent support for our plans to modernize West Side container and intermodal cargo handling facilities,” said Jim Quinn, President & CEO, Port Saint John.