Cargo loaders at B.C.’s ports issue 72 hour strike notice

The union representing port workers in British Columbia says it has issued 72-hour strike notice and its members are ready to walk off the job on Saturday.

In a statement issued at 8 a.m. Wednesday, the International Longshore and Warehouse Union Canada (ILWU) said workers are now prepared to walk off the job at 8 a.m. on July 1.

0:36 Longshore workers union issues 72-hour strike notice

This notice affects more than 7,000 terminal cargo loaders at B.C. ports.

Bargaining between the ILWU and the British Columbia Maritime Employers Association (BCMEA) has been ongoing since February after their collective agreement expired on March 31.

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The union said it is seeking a deal that protects their jobs, and offers recognition for the hard work and sacrifices that longshore workers made during the pandemic.

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According to the union, the main objectives to be negotiated are:

• to stop the erosion of work by contracting out
• to protect current and future generations from the devastating impacts of port automation
• to protect longshore workers from record high inflation and the skyrocketing cost of living

A half-billion dollars worth of goods move through B.C.’s ports every day, and businesses have said previously that a work stoppage could have devastating impacts on the economy.

Werner Antweiler, a professor at the UBC Sauder School of Business said between Vancouver and Prince Rupert ports, about 800 million dollars a day of goods move through the terminals, which amounts to roughly 25 per cent of all of Canada’s imported and exported goods.

“It’s a very difficult time for many people and businesses due to affordability concerns around rising costs, inflation and rising interest rates,” Bridgitte Anderson with the Greater Vancouver Board of Trade said Wednesday. “When we look at potential disruption at the port, we’re also concerned this could be not just a temporary disruption but a permanent disruption as we’re already seeing some cargo diverted to other ports around the world.”

The B.C. Maritime Employers Association said in a statement that they continue to be open to any solution that brings both parties to a balanced agreement.

In a statement issued Wednesday, Minister of Labour Seamus O’Regan and Minister of Transport Omar Alghabra said they support the collective bargaining process and reaching a deal remains the focus.

“We strongly encourage the parties to get back to the bargaining table and work together to reach an agreement. That is what matters most right now.

“Everyone — the employer, the union, the mediators, and the government — understands the urgency and what is at stake for Canadians and our supply chains. The parties are responsible for moving goods both nationally and internationally, and industries and consumers would feel the effects of a work stoppage,” the statement reads.

– with files from The Canadian Press and Travis Prasad