The SIU of Canada, an affiliate of the Seafarers International Union of North America, started the New Year by protecting members’ jobs when a company attempted to use Cyprus-flag tonnage in the Canadian domestic trades.SIU of Canada President Roman Gralewicz confirmed a report in the newspaper Trade Winds indicating that bulk shipper Canada Salt Co. had applied to the Canadian Transport Agency (CTA) for work involving cargo shipments from the Magdalen Islands to ports along the St. Lawrence River. However, Canada Salt wanted to give the work to the Greek company Navarone SA, which apparently would have utilized its Cyprus-flag vessels Mandarin and Pintail.
“The SIU objected on the basis that SIU-contracted vessels would be available,” SIU of Canada Executive Vice President Michel Desjardins noted. “We also objected to any issuance of temporary work visas, as Canadian seafarers were available to do the work, in accordance with our immigration laws. We were helpful in safeguarding approximately four weeks’ work for our members.”
The SIU of Canada had allies in this fight: Domestic owners Canada Steamship Lines, Transport Desgagnes Inc. and Seaway Marine Transport also protested the application. All three of those companies have contracts with the SIU of Canada.
Canada’s cabotage rules stipulate that foreign-flag vessels may be used in the domestic trades only if no appropriate Canadian-flag tonnage is available.
Trade Winds, when the CTA denied Canadian Salt’s application, “The authorities explained that the burden of proof was on the shipper to ‘prove that the vessel capacity offered by Canadian vessel operators, that have previously always met its transportation needs, is insufficient.’”
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