The strike by the seaway workers has ended and Great Lake freighter traffic is starting up again on Monday, October 30, 2023 at 7 a.m, according to Canadian news sources. Workers on strike perform maintenance, operational, and supervisory duties at 13 of the 15 locks along the trade route as well as raising and lowering boats between (locks) sections of varying depths along rivers.
Read The Scuba News Canada article: The St. Lawrence Seaway Could Be Prematurely Shut Down in 2023 Due to a Strike
The seaway, a major shipping route that connects the Atlantic Ocean and Great Lakes between Lake Erie and Montreal, has been closed since October 22, 2023 due to the walk-out of over 300 striking workers. While they await passage, ships have been left adrift. Due to the inability of businesses to accept goods that were being transported by freighters, the strike had a major effect.
Lana Payne, national president of UNIFOR, told reporters that striking workers wanted fairer compensation and solutions to “a toxic workplace.”
