B.C.’s longshore foremen have voted overwhelmingly to reject the “final offer” from the BC Maritime Employers Association (BCMEA).
Ninety-nine per cent of the 584 foremen voted to reject the offer.
Since May 26, 2023, ILWU Local 514 and the BCMEA have been engaged in collective bargaining and agreed to participate in a last-ditch mediation effort to reach a tentative agreement.
Subject to a “cooling off period” and conducting more strike votes, the union is now in a legal strike position.
President of ILWU Local 514 Frank Morena said one of the BCMEA’s constituent employers, Dubai Ports World (Canada) Inc., put the union on notice in mid-December 2023 that it was unilaterally going to introduce automation of loading and unloading of cargo containers at its Rail Intermodal Yard at the Port of Vancouver.
“Prior to the introduction of the automation, Dubai Ports World negotiated a manning agreement with ILWU Local 500, but refused to do so directly with Local 514,” Morena said. “Following this refusal, the union tabled a manning proposal during collective bargaining with the BCMEA, which continued to refuse to negotiate a meaningful manning proposal. Notwithstanding that, another BCMEA employer, GCT, successfully negotiated a manning agreement with the union years ago when it introduced automation.”
“When the parties exchanged proposals, neither the BCMEA nor the Union sought to renew the article providing waiver of statutory automation protection that last expired in 1996,” Morena added. “Considering Dubai Ports World’s introduction of automation during the collective bargaining freeze process, we would be foolhardy to agree to waive the statutory protections against automation.”
Morena said the union was also seeking to improve retiring allowances and benefits but that was rejected.
In a statement, the BCMEA said it is disappointed by ILWU Local 514’s rejection of the proposal.
“In an effort to conclude a negotiated collective agreement that ensures certainty for Canada’s West Coast ports, the industry proposed a four-year agreement that would have provided all workers with significant gains in wages and benefits,” the organization said in a statement.
“The industry proposed a 19.2 per cent wage increase, which would have enhanced the median foreperson compensation from $246,323 to $293,617 annually, not including benefits and pension. The four-year proposal is in line with the negotiated 2023 longshore settlement, including:
On average, eligible workers receiving a cumulative lump sum payment of approximately $15,000, inclusive of a signing bonus and retroactive pay increases.
An increased Modernization and Mechanization (M&M) retirement payment of $108,750, representing an increase of 16%. (For decades, the Parties have agreed to waive “tech change” notice obligations in the Canada Labour Code. In exchange, forepersons receive a M&M retirement benefit, over and above employees’ pension entitlements.).”
The Canada Industrial Relations Board has scheduled a hearing on July 2, 3 and 5 concerning each party’s outstanding complaints.