An ugly spat between two maritime trade unions in Canada has gone public.

The president of the International Longshore Workers’ Union (ILWU) Canada, Robert Ashton, recently came out with online comments in which he stated the ILWU would either push Ocean BC, which is affiliated to the Seafarers’ International Union of Canada from their waters or “kill” it. Ashton described Ocean BC as a “predator in our waters”, saying it wanted to muscle out one of the ILWU’s chapters in British Columbia.

Responding, Jim Given, the president of the SIU, said: “Fabricating information and threatening another union’s membership is something no good labour union should do, and we view it as a sign of weak leadership.”

Given said that throughout the SIU’s history, the ILWU Canada has “raided, defamed and slandered” his union.