Unifor has issued a statement saying it has reached a tentative agreement with St. Lawrence Seaway Management Corporation.

The mediated negotiations got underway after strike action began October 22nd. Unifor says it was the first time in 55 years seaway workers decided to strike.

Details of the tentative agreement will first be shared with members and will be made public once an agreement is ratified. Wages were the main stumbling block. A vote will be scheduled in the coming days.

Unifor is Canada’s largest union in the private sector and represents 315,000 workers.

The strike impacted grain and potash shipments through the Port of Thunder Bay and Thunder Bay freezes at the end of the calendar year which means grain needs to be moving right now to avoid shipping penalties or even contract defaults down the road. Nearly one million tonnes of grain per month went through Thunder Bay in October, November, and December last year.

There was a port strike in B.C. from July 1st to 13th. Nutrien, Mosaic, K + S Potash and Federated Cooperatives Limited are all members of Fertilizer Canada.