The St. Lawrence Seaway Management Corporation (SLSMC) and Unifor, the union representing Canadian workers at the Seaway, have agreed to refer outstanding issues to binding arbitration.

This agreement also suspends the right to strike by the union or lockout by the Seaway, ensuring uninterrupted navigation until March 31, 2018, according to a press release from Seaway headquarters.

"We have been meeting night and day the past week to reach a deal, and came to the conclusion that arbitration was the best way to resolve remaining issues," Unifor National Representative Joel Fournier said.

The union had threatened to strike last Friday over a plan by management to automate some lock operations.

The union extended its deadline until Monday, threatening to strike after that if progress in negotiations had not been made by then.

Details of the issues sent to arbitration and the complete contract will be revealed with the decision of the arbitrator. Both sides expect to meet with the arbitrator as soon as possible to resolve this matter.

Terence Bowles, President and CEO of the SLSMC, said “I am very pleased that we have reached this agreement, which enables navigation on the Seaway to continue without interruption”.

The 460 members of Unifor along the St. Lawrence Seaway from Niagara to Montreal are in Locals 4212 and 4211 in Niagara and Cornwall, Locals 4319 and 4320 in Montreal and Local 4323 in Iroquois, Ontario.

The American locks, Eisenhower and Snell near Massena, were not part of the negotiations, nor were American workers involved.