B.C. port workers' strike enters 4th day as bargaining stalls

VANCOUVER -

Talks to end a strike at British Columbia’s ports are now stalled, with both sides accusing the other of being unreasonable.

The BC Maritime Employers Association says it has gone as far as possible on core issues and it doesn't think more bargaining is going to produce a collective agreement.

Members of the International Longshore and Warehouse Union Canada were out on picket lines for the fourth day Tuesday.

Dozens of workers marched around the association’s dispatch centre on Franklin Street in Vancouver armed with signs.

The group is accusing its employer of sabotaging the bargaining process.

“We hope the BCMEA is not using its vast resources and connections to vilify the union and scare the public with tales of economic disaster,” wrote Rob Ashton, president of the ILWU in a news release Monday.

The union represents more than 7,000 workers who load and unload cargo at terminals at more than 30 B.C. ports.

They walked off the job Saturday.

Both sides negotiated over the weekend and were at the table early in the day Sunday until talks fell apart.

“Each day costs the Canadian economy a billion dollars. So it's a very significant contribution. More than a third of Canadian container traffic comes through the West Coast ports,” said Greg Wilson, director of government relations for the Retail Council of Canada.

The association says the compensation the union is asking for is unreasonable.

“Over the course of the past 13 years, longshore wages have risen by 40 per cent, ahead of inflation at 30 per cent. ILWU Canada member wages have increased by approximately 10 per cent in the past three years since the COVID-19 pandemic began,” wrote BCMEA in a news release.

In 2022, the median salary of a union longshore worker was $136,000 a year, plus benefits and pension.

The union says it's fighting for higher wages, stopping contract work and protecting jobs from automation.

It's asking the employer to get back to the bargaining table.

The impacts of the strike are already being felt at local businesses.

“As we speak, we have a shipment arriving,” said Ed Habley, owner of Urban Décor Furniture in Vancouver.

“There was a delay already from the origin, now there’s more delays,” he continued.

Habley says disruptions of any significant length at the Port of Vancouver could have serious implications for his business.

“Everything’s going to be affected across the board,” he said. “There’s going to be people waiting, and then cancelling orders.” 

Business leaders are calling on the federal government to intervene.

“Each day the strike goes on, the damage compounds and, as a consequence, then any delay means that much more damage to the Canadian economy,” said Perrin Beatty, CEO of the Canadian Chamber of Commerce. 

"Even if the government were to announce today that it was bringing parliament back, this doesn't happen overnight. It takes time to do that and to get legislation before the house and passed," he added.

Alberta Premier Danielle Smith is also sharing her concerns.

“This strike action has the potential to cause substantial economic harm on families and businesses across Canada, including here in Alberta,” Smith wrote on Twitter Monday.

“We urge the federal government to work with all parties to ensure a rapid resolution to the dispute,” she added.

The industry handles roughly 16 per cent of the country's total traded goods and contributes $2.7 billion to Canada's GDP.