The British Columbia Maritime Employers Association (BCMEA) announced it has been informed by International Longshore and Warehouse Union Local 514 that the union has a mandate from its members to take strike action. The union represents 730 forepersons on British Columbia ports whose current collective agreement expired on March 31, 2023.
At time of reporting, neither Party has issued a required 72-hour notice of strike or lockout, nor have there been any labour disruptions. Regular cargo and passenger operations at BC ports continue uninterrupted.
In a statement, the BCMEA reiterated “continued good faith bargaining with ILWU Local 514 and awaits the conclusion of the Canada Industrial Relations Board (CIRB) hearing regarding the union’s DP World (Canada) Inc. pay and manning proposal, which the BCMEA alleges to be illegal, constituting the union bargaining in bad faith.
“At a time when Canada’s supply chain is just beginning to recover from the repercussions of the multi-day rail disruption, ILWU Local 514’s latest action does little to assure Canadians and global trading partners of supply chain stability.”
The Parties are scheduled to continue the CIRB hearing next week.
Over the last 16 months, the BCMEA noted it has proposed “comprehensive offers that would have resulted in a competitive and balanced deal to ILWU Local 514 members, and if accepted, would have provided all forepersons with significant gains in wages and benefits, without any concession requests from employers. We remain committed to bargaining in good faith and seeking a balanced agreement that recognizes the hard work of the 730 forepersons on B.C.’s waterfront while ensuring West Coast ports remain competitive, resilient and affordable for all Canadians.”
This past August, the federal government intervened to end a simultaneous lockout by Canadian National (CN) and Canadian Pacific Kansas City (CPKC) railways by ordering the CIRB to impose mandatory arbitration 18 hours after the work stoppage began. The decision was strongly supported by business circles concerned over the labour conflict’s impact on the North American supply chain and on Canada’s reputation as a trading partner.
(Port of Vancouver photo)
