Union issues strike notice in B.C. port labour dispute, employers say
British Columbia's ports may again be disrupted by a labour dispute, as employers say they have received 72-hour strike notice from the union representing foremen.
The BC Maritime Employers Association said in a statement on Thursday that it is "deeply disappointed" after the International Longshore and Warehouse Union Local 514 has issued the strike notice despite the employers' "final offer" presented on Wednesday.
"The BCMEA has advanced proposals in good faith to reach a balanced agreement that is beneficial for the 730 hard-working forepersons and for their families, while also ensuring West Coast ports remain reliable, competitive and affordable for all Canadians," the statement said.
"The BCMEA and its members will be considering next steps," the statement concluded.
The union said in a statement Thursday evening the employers threatened a "full-scale lockout to close all B.C. ports" after it served 72-hour notice of limited job action.
Frank Morena, president of ILWU Local 514, said in the statement that the union told the employers association it would enact an overtime ban and refuse to implement tech change starting Monday unless a new collective agreement is reached by then.
"We are prepared to resume negotiations immediately," he added.
The two sides had been negotiating with the help of a federal mediator over three days this week to avoid the latest work stoppage, which would affect all ports in B.C.
Employers said that if the union takes strike action, it would begin at 8 a.m. on Monday, Nov. 4.
The strike would be the latest in a number of labour disruptions at the Port of Vancouver, the largest port in Canada.
In September, workers set up pickets at six Metro Vancouver grain terminals for several days before a tentative deal was reached.
A month before that, port operations were disrupted by work stoppages at both major Canadian railways.
A 13-day port workers strike last year froze billions in trade at the docks.
The foremen's union said in September that members voted 96 per cent in favour of strike action, if necessary.
The dispute has been centred around one employer, DP World, and its manpower requirements as it relates to automation.
The union has said it had "no interest in an industry-wide dispute" because it wanted to negotiate with DP World directly, but the Canada Industrial Relations Board said the union can't bargain with one employer alone.
The union said that ruling prompted members to take an industry-wide vote on a strike mandate.
As the two sides entered negotiations this week, Morena said "the clock is ticking," referring to the union's strike mandate that expires on Nov. 2.
“ILWU Local 514 wants to see a new contract, not a strike or lockout, and has done everything possible to negotiate at the table — not through the media, as BCMEA has attempted to do,” Morena said before talks restarted on Tuesday.
Earlier on Thursday, the employers said they believed their latest offer would "conclude negotiations in a manner that serves the best interest" of all parties involved.
Negotiations began last year after the last contract expired in March 2023.
On Oct. 23, the Canada Industrial Relations Board ruled on complaints from both sides alleging negotiating in bad faith, dismissing the union's claim, while partly agreeing with the employers' complaint.
The union has said it "respectfully disagrees" with the ruling and would ask a court to overturn that part of the decision.
The employers association said Thursday that the latest job action aggravates the effects of previous work stoppages and causes significant harm to the Canadian economy.
"This escalation follows months of labour instability across rail, air, grain and port sectors and compounds Canada’s growing reputation as an unreliable trading partner," the employers' statement said. "This level of uncertainty and chaos is untenable for the waterfront industry and Canada’s supply chain."
In a written statement, Greater Vancouver Board of Trade vice-president David van Hemmen said his group is "calling for immediate action by the federal government to intervene."
"We are extremely concerned that this strike could cascade quickly to shutting down the entire West Coast port system," van Hemmen said.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Oct. 31, 2024.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
From essential goods to common stocking stuffers, Trudeau offering Canadians temporary tax relief
Canadians will soon receive a temporary tax break on several items, along with a one-time $250 rebate, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announced Thursday.
She thought her children just had a cough or fever. A mother shares sons' experience with walking pneumonia
A mother shares with CTVNews.ca her family's health scare as medical experts say cases of the disease and other respiratory illnesses have surged, filling up emergency departments nationwide.
Trump chooses Pam Bondi for attorney general pick after Gaetz withdraws
U.S. president-elect Donald Trump on Thursday named Pam Bondi, the former attorney general of Florida, to be U.S. attorney general just hours after his other choice, Matt Gaetz, withdrew his name from consideration.
A one-of-a-kind Royal Canadian Mint coin sells for more than $1.5M
A rare one-of-a-kind pure gold coin from the Royal Canadian Mint has sold for more than $1.5 million. The 99.99 per cent pure gold coin, named 'The Dance Screen (The Scream Too),' weighs a whopping 10 kilograms and surpassed the previous record for a coin offered at an auction in Canada.
Putin says Russia attacked Ukraine with a new missile that he claims the West can't stop
Russian President Vladimir Putin announced Thursday that Moscow has tested a new intermediate-range missile in a strike on Ukraine, and he warned that it could use the weapon against countries that have allowed Kyiv to use their missiles to strike Russia.
Here's a list of items that will be GST/HST-free over the holidays
Canadians won't have to pay GST on a selection of items this holiday season, the prime minister vowed on Thursday.
Video shows octopus 'hanging on for dear life' during bomb cyclone off B.C. coast
Humans weren’t the only ones who struggled through the bomb cyclone that formed off the B.C. coast this week, bringing intense winds and choppy seas.
Taylor Swift's motorcade spotted along Toronto's Gardiner Expressway
Taylor Swift is officially back in Toronto for round two. The popstar princess's motorcade was seen driving along the Gardiner Expressway on Thursday afternoon, making its way to the downtown core ahead of night four of ‘The Eras Tour’ at the Rogers Centre.
Service Canada holding back 85K passports amid Canada Post mail strike
Approximately 85,000 new passports are being held back by Service Canada, which stopped mailing them out a week before the nationwide Canada Post strike.