Ocean BC Towing (OBCT), managed by Groupe Ocean, has reached an agreement on a new contract with the Seafarers’ International Union of Canada (SIU). Union members unanimously accepted the contract, which provides “significant gains in all areas, raising the bar and setting the new standard for seafarers working on tugboats on Canada’s West Coast,” said the union in a statement.
The contract includes a 20% wage increase in the first three years, a 1.5% increase to pension contributions in 2025, transportation reimbursements, a minimum six-hour call-in during scheduled time off and improvements to the employees’ medical plan.
The SIU was in the news recently also because of its public spat with the International Longshore Workers’ Union (ILWU) Canada.
