The First Collective Agreement with Ocean Construction's Ship and Industrial Repairs Division

We are proud to announce that the first collective agreement with Ocean Construction's Ship and Industrial Repairs Division – Groupe de Réparations Navales et Industrielles (RNI) - Océan Construction was ratified recently by a good majority of regular members at a general assembly. This negotiation involved significant difficulties, given that this unit has not been unionized for a long time. With everything that this entails in terms of expectations on the part of members and the necessary adjustments, it was quite a challenge.

In spite of the often considerably opposing points of view between labour and management, the ratified agreement includes very important adjustments in average salary beginning in the first year of the four year collective agreement, followed by yearly wage increases for each year of the agreement. Furthermore, employees are entitled to a retroactive wage increase for the entire year of 2011.

Another important point: two separate weekly work schedules are now available to all regular employees. Twice a year, they may now choose between a full work week or a 4.5 day work week. The application of seniority for work call backs, temporary layoffs, access to team leader positions and training have also been clarified. Over the course of the agreement, the employer's contribution to the employee pension fund will also be increased. Also, a weekly stand-by bonus of $150 per week in addition to the four hour minimum at the overtime rate for each call back to work has been offered by the employer to ensure that at all times the Company will be able to respond to emergency calls for intervention from ship owners and other customers outside of regular work hours.

We would like to thank all employees for their support and patience. Our bargaining committee was composed of Isabelle Gignac, welder, Jean-Philippe Simard, mechanic, and Frédéric Guay, labourer-operator and Sylvain Rousseau, SIU port agent. We are very proud of the outcome of this negotiation and this team did remarkable work together. We offer them a most sincere thank you and all our gratitude.

The Mandate of the Québec Office has been increased

President Michel Desjardins proceeded last December with the appointment of Hugo Boisjoly to the position of Assistant Vice-President, St. Lawrence and East Coast. With this appointment we are now responsible for covering all maritime activities in Newfoundland and all the Maritime Provinces, as well as the Province of Quebec, including negotiations, communications with members and follow up of Union activities.

We are very proud to benefit from President Desjardins' trust in responding to members' needs in this enormous region. Obviously, we will have to adjust to the extent of this new challenge and to the 32 files and separate collective agreements under our jurisdiction. More than ever, our delegates will be expected to help get the job done. Dear members, with your support and assistance the brotherhood of the sea will have its full significance with the SIU in the East.

Major Investments for Port Infrastructures in Québec

SEPT ILES On February 13th, Federal Minister of Transport Denis Lebel, announced that the Conservative Government was allocating a $55 million subsidy for the construction of a new wharf in the Pointe-Noire district of Sept Iles starting in spring 2012. This new multi-users wharf is evaluated at $220 million and is directly connected with the extraordinary growth of the iron ore industry in Labrador and Northern Quebec. It is estimated that 1000 jobs will be created during the 18 to 24 month construction period of the new wharf, while 150 to 200 permanent jobs will be created for shipping activities following the start up of the new wharf.

PORT DE QUÉBEC $50 million will be invested in 2012 by the Quebec Port Authority and companies operating in the Port of Quebec for infrastructure projects. Bunge expects to construct a new grain warehouse behind its current silos. Arrimage Saint-Laurent - St. Lawrence Stevedoring and IMTT-Québec are also among the important operators that will share $40 million of investments.

GRANDE-ANSE The Harper Government will inject $15 million for the construction of a rail connection and an intermodal rail yard allowing goods from the Saguenay and Northern Quebec Region to be transported as far as the port at Grande Anse and giving them access to international markets.

10th Edition of the Marine Institute Job Fair at Nfld Memorial University

With 30 other maritime organizations, we participated at the Marine Institute Job Fair. Christian Godbout, dispatcher at the Quebec Hiring Hall attended the event and had the opportunity to meet more than a hundred well motivated young men and women coming from different areas of Newfoundland. Among them, several future deck officers and engineer officers expressed interest in sailing with the SIU to accumulate sea time between semesters while at the same time earning good wages. It is important to note that several of them are paying up to $15,000 to get their training.

There were also several trainee students attending the bridge watchman program as well as the mechanical assistant mechanic program. Once they have completed the theoretical portion of the program, their eight month training includes a two month internship at sea before they become eligible to write the Transport Canada exam to obtain their bridge watchman or mechanical assistant certificate. These graduates are a valuable source of qualified candidates for the SIU to fill the great number of manpower opportunities that are presently available or that will become available in the near future. It is also important to note that most of these trainee students do not benefit from any government financial programs while participating in the training programs.

Negotiations

Once again, 2012 will be an important year for negotiations. While the ratification vote for the tentative agreement reached with Oceanex for the Sanderling is underway, negotiations with Gestion Yves Harrisson, Arcelor Mittal and Océan Navigation/operators are continuing. Negotiations with Overseas Ship Management will soon get underway.

Negotiations with Océan Remorquage Montréal and Océan Remorquage Québec will begin shortly after preparatory meetings are held with our members from each of these units. While observing the evolution of markets serviced by Cogema's rail ferry, now managed by Canadian National, in preparation for negotiations at the end of this year we are already documenting our records for negotiations of many collective agreements that will expire in 2013.

Enjoy a good season and keep in mind to work safely.