‘No changes expected’ to shipbuilding contract, Unifor says

HALIFAX—Canada’s largest private sector union said no changes are expected to the National Shipbuilding Procurement Strategy (NSPS) despite reports to the contrary.

Unifor said it “fully expects” members working at Halifax Shipyard Ltd., a subsidiary of Irving Shipbuilding Inc., to build six Arctic patrol vessels “as planned.”

“We have been assured by the company that everything is full speed ahead,” Lana Payne, Unifor’s Atlantic regional director, said in a statement.

“Design work … continues and a contract is expected to be signed in January for the six vessels and that the build work in the yard will begin in September 2015.”

The statement was issued after reports emerged that Ottawa was scaling back its expected order of Arctic patrol ships, with money being the biggest sticking point.

“We also fully expect the federal government to live up to its shipbuilding commitments,” Unifor’s Payne said.