KINGSTON, ON, Sept. 17, 2026 /CNW/ -- Unifor members working for the St. Lawrence Seaway Management Corporation (SLSMC) reached tentative agreements with their employer on September 16, following conciliation talks held in Kingston.

The agreements cover 320 workers in the Maintenance and Operations group and the Engineering and Supervisory group. These members facilitate vessel transit through the Great Lakes and along the St. Lawrence Seaway to the Atlantic Ocean.

"Our members play a critical role in operating one of the country's most strategically important pieces of economic infrastructure. Throughout these negotiations, they demonstrated that when workers remain united and stand together, they have real power to advance their priorities," said Unifor National President Lana Payne.

The agreements were reached after several months of negotiations and on the eve of the deadline to issue 72-hour strike notice.

"Negotiations like these require tenacity, discipline and tremendous solidarity. For several months, the bargaining committees defended members' interests with determination and never lost sight of their priorities. The work that brought us to these tentative agreements deserves to be fully recognized," said Unifor Quebec Director Daniel Cloutier.

Ratification meetings will be held in the coming days. Members will have an opportunity to review the proposed changes, ask questions of their bargaining committee representatives and vote on the tentative agreements.

About Unifor

Unifor is Canada's largest union in the private sector, representing 320,000 workers in every major area of the economy, including nearly 55,000 members in Quebec. The union advocates for all working people and their rights, fights for equality and social justice in Canada and abroad, and strives to create progressive change for a better future.

SOURCE Unifor