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

Canada91裸聊视频檚 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 91裸聊视频渂umper crop91裸聊视频� and they need to get it to market.

Union president Douglas Lea-Smith says the labour minister91裸聊视频檚 involvement is a positive step, and there is a meeting scheduled Wednesday between the union and the employer to try to resolve the 91裸聊视频渋mpasse91裸聊视频� arising from bargaining so far.

Lea-Smith says the employer, the Vancouver Terminal Elevators Association, had not 91裸聊视频渕eaningfully engaged91裸聊视频� 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 Viterra91裸聊视频檚 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 91裸聊视频渃omprehensive package91裸聊视频� last Thursday, but the next day, the association indicated it had no counter offer.

But Lea-Smith said the association released a 91裸聊视频渇ull proposal91裸聊视频� directly to workers, sidestepping the union.

91裸聊视频淭hey just walked right around us because they believe that we don91裸聊视频檛 represent our members, even though we91裸聊视频檙e elected by our members,91裸聊视频� he said.

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

91裸聊视频淭here are some minor monetary issues, but for the most part, it91裸聊视频檚 largely over earned time-off days, which we call lieu days,91裸聊视频� 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.

91裸聊视频淕rain workers in 2002, on a pro rata basis, compared to today, earned more money than we do,91裸聊视频� he said.

It91裸聊视频檚 the first time the union local has gone on strike since about 1970, he said.