Welland Canal

PRESS RELEASE FROM THE SEAWAY
NEWS AND INFORMATION
ST. LAWRENCE SEAWAY MANAGEMENT CORPORATION RECEIVES 72-HOUR STRIKE NOTICE FROM UNIFOR
Cornwall, Ontario (October 29, 2014) - The St. Lawrence Seaway Management Corporation (SLSMC) was served with a 72-hour notice to strike by UNIFOR on October 28, 2014. The union intends to begin strike action as of 12:15 PM on Friday, October 31, 2014. UNIFOR represents the Seaway’s 460 unionized employees.

The SLSMC is currently in the process of implementing a modernization program which incorporates Hands Free Mooring and Remote Lock Operation. This program is essential to ensuring that the Seaway can operate on a basis that is both safe and sustainable. Contrary to union allegations, the SLSMC is confident that it will continue to process ships through its locks in a safe and secure manner.

Despite UNIFOR’s strike notice, the SLSMC remains committed to obtaining a fair settlement, and will continue to bargain in good faith with the assistance of a federally appointed mediator.

As a result of UNIFOR’s strike notification, SLSMC has started implementing its detailed plans for an orderly and safe shutdown of the system within the 72-hour notice period. Should the unionized workers proceed with strike action, as scheduled, the St. Lawrence Seaway will be closed to all traffic.

Canal schedule close is December 31/14. As it takes 12 hours for a ship to transit canal they will have to stop taking ships around 18:00 hrs Thursday as they will have to clear traffic and lower the water levels on the canal to prevent flooding.
My last trip is a 66' Hattteras M/Y left Detroit at 07:00 this morning, but is wind bound upper end of Lake Erie as the winds today are 30 knots out of the west 8' to 10' waves. Thursday morning winds will be NW 10-11 knots.
He hopes to be at the canal mid afternoon, if canal is open will pull an all nighter to get him through.
If the strike dose happen the Government will order them back to work after a few days but you never no.
Plus they are calling for wet snow on Friday.

One of nine new Great Lake ships on the way to Montreal from China.
http://www.stcatharinesstandard.ca/2014/11/08/csl-welland-on-maiden-voyage

NEW PALMER JOHNSON
P J Hull 265 (Khalilah) left Sturgeon Bay Saturday morning and is now Sunday morning is going by Port Huron heading for the Welland Canal, she could be here Monday morning. It will be a long cold trip out the Seaway this time of year, we had a bit of snow last night, water temp. in Montreal is 41.5 F Will try and get pictures on Monday.

PJ Hull 265 (KHALILAH) down bound Welland Canal today. Not a good day for taking pictures -2C and snowing and tonight winds on Lake Ontario will be 55 knots out of the west. It will be a cold trip out the seaway as we are to have 15 C of snow tonight and wind will be 55 knots out of the west. If you go back to page five you will see the Hull on the deck of a ship on June 15/13 heading for Sturgon Bay.

more pictures

Well 48 hours later KHALILAH is still in the Weland Canal.
Winds tonight will be 100 Kilometers an hour out of the south, which should bring about 8 " of snow and temperature will be -9 C tonight.
Water temperature in Montreal today is 4.7 C
They will be breaking ice by the time they get to Montreal.

BONE YARD
Today the another Great Lakes Freighter the American Fortitude 690' X 70' is heading for the scrap yard in Brownsville Texas. She was built in 1952.