Tentative deal reached with unionized shipbuilders working on navy vessels

By The Canadian Press

HALIFAX – The union at the Halifax shipyard building the next generation of Royal Canadian Navy vessels says it has a tentative agreement with Irving Shipbuilding.

Both the union and the company said no details will be released until Halifax Shipyard employees have a chance to view it and vote on it.

Unifor gave 48-hour strike notice last week, but talks resumed before a Saturday deadline for the walkout.

Last week, the union said a strong majority of 850 members had rejected an earlier tentative contract.

Unifor’s lead negotiator had said tensions were high, and the issues were not just about economics, but rather were tied to disagreements over the number of discipline cases at the shipyard and the use of foreign workers.

The company confirmed a new tentative agreement has been reached, but declined further comment.

The shipyard has said it is planning to build up to six Arctic and offshore patrol ships and 15 Canadian surface combatants over the next 25 years, referring to the projects as “the backbone of the Royal Canadian Navy.”

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