Grain workers strike: Job action begins at Metro Vancouver terminals [Video]

Metro Vancouver grain terminal workers are now on strike.

The employees walked off the job Tuesday morning, bringing tens of millions of dollars of exports to a standstill.

The strike could be a major blow to the economy and the food supply chain, with more than half of all Canadian-grown grain moving through Metro Vancouver terminals.

“Canada is the third largest exporter of wheat in the world, and wheat represents about 20 per cent of all calories consumed around the world, so it’s a big deal,” said Sylvain Charlebois, a food policy professor at Dalhousie University.

Some 650 workers are on strike at six terminals in Vancouver and North Vancouver.

The job action could potentially cost $35 million a day in lost exports.

“These companies are some of the largest, most profitable companies in the world, and they are earning huge money off Canadian resources – and it’s important that Canadians have good jobs that they can rely upon …