Kamutik W crew unionizes with Seafarers’ International Union of Canada

Workers on the Kamutik W ferry have unanimously agreed to join the Seafarers’ International Union of Canada, joining the crew of the Qajaq W and becoming the second Labrador Marine Inc. vessel to unionize. 

Anthony Côté, a representative with Seafarers’ International Union of Canada, said the crew had no major issues with Labrador Marine and that the decision to unionize was more about gaining protection in the event anything were to happen, to secure better wages, and to join the already-unionized crew of the Qajaq W.

Having union representation “also allows them to focus on their job and do their work more safely, knowing that they’re being backed by a union if they need them,” Côté added. 

Côté said the union provides workers stability, protection and support when it comes to fair scheduling, working conditions, wages and the bargaining process. In the upcoming bargaining, one of the crew’s focuses will be on wages as the cost of living has risen, Côté said. 

No crew members from the Kamutik W were available for an interview. Their unionization leaves the Astron W as the only non-unionized Labrador Marine vessel. The company said it’s in the early stages of negotiations with the union so it is not an appropriate time for an interview. 

The crew of the Qajaq W have been part of the same union for almost a decade. Reginald Symes, chief officer of the Qajaq W, has been with the crew since the vessel began operating in 2019. He says there have been no major issues with Labrador Marine Inc., owned by Woodward Group of Companies, and that he enjoys his work. Unionizing simply brought wage fairness to all its workers. “Back in 2007, when I started out [working on another vessel] with Woodward’s, basically every [worker] pretty much had their own private deals with the company,” he said. 

Some crew members had more allotted time off than others, and some had paid time off while others were not paid during their weeks off. When the crew in the Labrador Straits unionized, it put workers on the same level, he said, explaining different roles have different pay levels, but everyone was treated the same when it came to leave. 

“Not that it was spoken out aloud, but there was less animosity between crew members because, you know, everybody basically had the same thing to look forward to,” Symes said. 

Symes said it’s great that the Kamutik W joined the same union, and that there’s strength in numbers. “The company is definitely not an anti-union company,” Symes said. “There is no animosity between company and union. And I think anyone coming in, starting a career here with LMI, I think there’s a great future.”

Côté said the Kamutik W crew unionized after one of its members reached out to the Seafarers’ International Union of Canada, which represents the majority of unlicensed sailors working on vessels in the Great Lakes, St. Lawrence River, and on both the east and west coasts.

After contacting the union, the worker organized with their colleagues to see who was willing to sign a union card and begin paying dues. Côté said 100 per cent of the Kamutik W crew signed their union cards to join.

“It was a smooth process, very, very smooth process for us,” Côté said. “As soon as we had all the cards that we needed signed, then we had filed with the board.”

Seafarers’ International Union of Canada filed for the group to unionize with the Canada Industrial Relations Board. The board, which has jurisdiction over federally-regulated employers in the private sector, then reviewed the application to create the union and bargaining group. Once certified by the board, the union will be able to bargain for a collective agreement on behalf of a group of employees. 

“It’s definitely an important step. It’s a milestone for the crew on the Kamutik W and, you know, in general for the workers in the area,” Côté said. “It means more stability in terms of the ferry services as well, and we’re just committed to supporting a safe and fair workplace for seafarers.”

Next, the union will meet with the crew to understand their priorities before negotiating their first collective agreement with Labrador Marine Inc.