Strike Shuts Down Vital Great Lakes Shipping Route, Affecting Global Exports

Canada's largest private-sector union, Unifor, instigates first strike since 1968, causing an estimated daily economic impact of around $110 million while halting export of essential goods such as grain, salt, and iron ore.

The strike has shut down all shipping on the St. Lawrence Seaway, disrupting exports of key goods like grain, salt, and iron ore from Canada and the United States via the Great Lakes to the rest of the world.
Around 360 workers from Unifor, Canada's largest private-sector union, initiated the strike over a wage dispute with the St. Lawrence Seaway Management Corp.
The strike, which began on Sunday, has resulted in the shutdown of 13 locks between Lake Erie and Montreal, trapping ships inside the Great Lakes and preventing more from entering.
With over $12 billion worth of cargo being transported through the St. Lawrence Seaway and Great Lakes annually, the strike is causing significant economic impact, estimated at around $110 million daily.
While negotiations are set to resume under the guidance of a federal mediator, the situation is critical as it is unknown how many oceangoing ships are currently stuck either inside or outside the system.