FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Wednesday, September 07, 2022

 

Longshoremen’s Protective Union (I.L.A.) Local 1953 ratifies offer from The St. John’s Shipping Association (SJSA)

 

St. John’s, NL: The Longshoremen’s Protective Union (International Longshoremen’s Association) Local 1953 has approved a 6-year collective agreement, with only 3 years remaining with the St. John’s Shipping Association (SJSA). The fundamental issues at hand including family sustaining wages, benefits, pensions, union recognition, and job security was enhanced and overwhelmingly ratified by the rank & file membership. 

 

 

The Minister of Labour had appointed 2 Federal Mediators to seal the deal on Labour Day weekend. Representatives from the LSPU (I.L.A.) Local 1953 and the SJSA have met with the Federal Mediators 46 times in total. The agreement shows that the Membership in the Port of St. John’s is willing to collaborate with their employers to maintain sectoral standards and be competitive in the marine cargo industry at the same time.

 

Quote

“LSPU (I.L.A.) Local 1953 has been moving General Cargo andNatural Resources on Newfoundland & Labrador Docks for 133+ years. The last strike they had was 1964. A strike isn’t always the best solution. We have struggled to bring about a leading collective agreement for members in the Port of St. John’s. The employer offer on terms and conditions was suitable enough for the membership to approve. We are happy to close the gap between our port and other Canadian ports. Outstanding issues were settled satisfactorily, and a work stoppage was avoided.”

 

 

Chris Gosse

President

LSPU (I.L.A.) Local 1953

 

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Media Contact

Chris Gosse

President

LSPU (I.L.A.) Local 1953

St. John’s, NL

Tel. (709) 728-7848

Email: president.lspu@nf.aibn.com

 

Backgrounder

The International Longshoremen’s Association represents the interests of 65,000 Dock workers in the Atlantic and Gulf Coast, Great Lakes, major U.S. Rivers, Puerto Rico & Eastern Canada: 300+ of whom work in Marine transportation in Newfoundland and Labrador. They are affiliated with the International Dockworkers Council (IDC), and International Transport Workers Federation (ITF) which has approximately twenty million members globally in seven hundred affiliated trade unions, from 150 countries.