The Seafarers’ International Union of Canada (SIU) has announced that it members with Ocean BC Towing (OBCT), managed by Groupe Ocean, have reached an agreement on a new contract that was unanimously accepted. The contract sees significant gains in all areas, raising the bar and setting the new standard for seafarers working on tugboats on Canada’s West Coast. The contract includes a 20% wage increase in the first 3 years, a 1.5% increase to pension in 2025, transportation reimbursements, a minimum 6 hour call in during scheduled time off, improvements to the medical plan, and more that were all fought for by the negotiating committee.
The tentative agreement was reached on September 7, 2022. All members with Ocean BC Towing voted on the tentative agreement on September 10, 2022, concluding in 100% of members voting in favour of the new contract.
