Scab labour used to load King Felipe vessel at Vancouver Washington grain terminal

Press Release

Monday, June 3, 2013

The International Longshore and Warehouse Union is protesting the use of scab labour to
load the vessel King Felipe at the Vancouver Washington grain terminal owned by Mitsui,
a Japanese corporation. United Grain locked out the ILWU in February this year after
imposing a Collective Agreement. American law allows companies to impose Agreements
if the two parties are not able to negotiate their own agreement.

The imposed agreement removes the Grievance Procedure, cuts all traditonal manning on
the job and unilaterally changes shift schedules. There are many other changes also
imposed by Mitsui-United Grain. Their rationale for locking out the ILWU was due to an
alleged single act of sabotage by one individual two months earlier.

The King Felipe is currently at anchor in Prince Rupert Harbour and is scheduled to move
to Prince Rupert Grain for loading at 1600 hours today. The ILWU Locals 505 and 514
that represent workers loading grain in Prince Rupert and the Grainworkers Union Local
333 that represents the workers in the grain elevator are setting up an information picket
outside the security gate at the entrance to Ridley Island today at 1600 hours. This picket
and rally will also be attended by ILWU Local 400 members that work on the towboats in
Prince Rupert, ILWU Local 520 members that do the support work for the Deepsea Ship
Pilots and ILWU Local 523 whose members work at Ridley Terminals on Ridley Island.
The Prince Rupert Labour Council is also supporting this action and there will be other
Union Members and supporters in attendance.

We want employers in Canada to understand that we strongly support our Brothers and
Sisters in the ILWU in Washington and Oregon in their struggle to get a fair Collective
Agreement and to show we do not support scabs loading ships and then those ships
coming to Canada.