A new tentative deal reached between the two sides involved in a labour dispute impacting some 7,400 British Columbia port workers would mean “long-term stability” if ratified, Labour Minister Seamus O’Regan says.
The deal was reached late Sunday night with the assistance of the Canada Industrial Relations Board (CIRB).
The International Longshore and Warehouse Union (ILWU) and BC Maritime Employers Association (BCMEA) said in a joint statement they are recommending their members to ratify it. Union members have until Friday to vote on the offer, CIRB ruled.
“The ILWU and the BCMEA reached a new tentative agreement, with the help of the Canada Industrial Relations Board. In a joint statement, both parties agreed to recommend ratification,” O’Regan said in a tweet Monday.
“Our ports are operating, but this deal — made by the parties — would mean long-term stability.”
For 13 days this month beginning July 1, some 7,400 port workers at 30 ports in the province walked off the job, stalling billions worth of cargo from moving in or out at some of Canada’s busiest terminals.
That strike came to an end when the sides reached a tentative deal, but that was rejected by union leaders on July 18. Workers were briefly back to the picket lines, but that move was deemed illegal by the industrial relations board as 72-hour notice was not provided.
The union issued a new 72-hour strike notice only to rescind it hours later, then announced it would recommend the deal to members in a full vote. But members rejected it last week.
Details of the new deal reached Sunday haven’t yet been released. The deal that was turned down was a four-year offer that included hikes in wages and benefits.
The union has expressed concern over the practice of contracting out maintenance work, saying Sunday it “will lead to an erosion of our workforce and expertise, ultimately jeopardizing the stability and efficiency of Canada’s maritime industry.”
A source within the minister’s office told Global News on background Monday that if the tentative deal was rejected again, the issue would return to the CIRB, which could use the tools provided by O’Regan on Saturday.
The CIRB warned the union in its Sunday ruling not to change its mind about ratifying the new deal, saying doing so would be considered an “unfair labour practice.”
The board also restricted both sides from commenting to the media beyond the single joint-statement announcing the agreement.
Over the weekend, O’Regan said he was directing the industrial relations board to determine if a negotiated end to the dispute was still possible, and if not, to impose an agreement or final binding arbitration.
The industrial relations board’s order on Sunday said that if the new deal is voted down by members of either side, both the union and the employers will have two days to address O’Regan’s question whether a negotiated end to the conflict can still be achieved.
Pressure had been mounting for federal intervention if a deal failed to eventuate.
Parties including Alberta Premier Danielle Smith, the Business Council of Canada and the Canadian Federation of Independent Business have all urged the federal government to legislate an end to the dispute if it continued.
Prime Mi
nister Justin Trudeau said Monday that while “labour negotiations can be extremely difficult,” his government has been “actively focused on keeping conversations going at the bargaining table.”
“There have been concerns and worries about how things were unfolding over the past days, but we now have a situation where there is another offer, there is another potential deal on the table, and we’re, as always, hopeful that negotiation at the bargaining table continues to be at the centre of what everyone needs to continue to do,” he said.
The 13-day strike held earlier this month cost roughly $10 billion in lost trade, the Greater Vancouver Board of Trade estimated.
— with files from The Canadian Press
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