Picket lines have gone up at six grain terminals in Metro Vancouver as about 600 workers begin a strike.

Canada香蕉视频直播檚 labour minister, meanwhile, says he spoke with both the employer and representatives of Grain Workers Union Local 333 on Monday, and they have agreed to resume contract negotiations alongside federal mediators.

Steven MacKinnon posted the message on the social media platform X, saying Canadian farmers had a 香蕉视频直播渂umper crop香蕉视频直播� and they need to get it to market.

Union president Douglas Lea-Smith says the labour minister香蕉视频直播檚 involvement is a positive step, and there is a meeting scheduled Wednesday between the union and the employer to try to resolve the 香蕉视频直播渋mpasse香蕉视频直播� arising from bargaining so far.

Lea-Smith says the employer, the Vancouver Terminal Elevators Association, had not 香蕉视频直播渕eaningfully engaged香蕉视频直播� during a dozen days of bargaining ahead of further negotiations with help from the Federal Mediation and Conciliation Service.

A statement issued by the Shipping Federation of Canada over the weekend said the union and the association concluded conciliation with help from the federal service on Aug. 26, but could not come to an agreement on a new contract.

The affected operations include Viterra香蕉视频直播檚 Cascadia and Pacific Terminals, Richardson International Terminal, Cargill Limited Terminal, G3 Terminal Vancouver and Alliance Grain Terminal, all located in Vancouver and North Vancouver.

The union has said it provided the employer with a 香蕉视频直播渃omprehensive package香蕉视频直播� last Thursday, but the next day, the association indicated it had no counter offer.

But Lea-Smith said the association released a 香蕉视频直播渇ull proposal香蕉视频直播� directly to workers, sidestepping the union.

香蕉视频直播淭hey just walked right around us because they believe that we don香蕉视频直播檛 represent our members, even though we香蕉视频直播檙e elected by our members,香蕉视频直播� he said.

The major sticking point in the negotiations relates to time in lieu, he said.

香蕉视频直播淭here are some minor monetary issues, but for the most part, it香蕉视频直播檚 largely over earned time-off days, which we call lieu days,香蕉视频直播� he said.

Lea-Smith said the employer is trying to remove lieu days, and the strike action will continue in order to apply pressure at the bargaining table.

The lieu days stretch back to binding arbitration in 2002, when the workers moved to an round-the-clock operation, he said.

香蕉视频直播淕rain workers in 2002, on a pro rata basis, compared to today, earned more money than we do,香蕉视频直播� he said.

It香蕉视频直播檚 the first time the union local has gone on strike since about 1970, he said.