It has been nearly a week since B.C. port workers walked off the job and as the rhetoric ramps up, so does the pressure on the federal government to step in and end the job action.
Hundreds of members of the International Longshore and Warehouse Union rallied Thursday in a show of solidarity.
Their union is accusing the B.C. Maritime Employers Association of launching a smear campaign and is calling for the employer to return to mediated talks.
As the strike drags on, a growing number of business groups are calling for Parliament to be recalled and pass back-to-work legislation.
“We’re calling on the federal government to intervene immediately to bring an end to this dispute,” Bridgette Anderson with the Vancouver Board of Trade told Global News.
“Like many business associations, we are really concerned about the impact not only on our economy right across Canada, but also the impact on our international reputation as a stable trading partner.”
It is estimated that more than $3.5 billion of goods are now stuck due to the port shutdown.