There is a possibility that ports in British Columbia, including the Port of Vancouver, Canada’s largest cargo port, will be forced to suspend operations due to a breakdown in labour-management negotiations.<\/p>\n
The International Longshore and Warehouse Union (ILWU) Local 514, which represents more than 700 site supervisors, has given 72 hours’ notice to strike, which will begin at 8 a.m. on November 4th.<\/p>\n
In response to this, the BC Maritime Employers Association (BCMEA), which represents the company, announced on November 1 that it had notified ILWU members that it would implement a “facility blockade” to exclude ILWU members from the workplace as a “defensive measure” starting at 9 a.m. on November 4. If this is implemented, all cargo operations at ports in BC will be halted.<\/p>\n
The union has criticised the BCMEA’s complete blockade as an overreaction, saying the strike was limited to a ban on overtime work, and criticised the BCMEA’s failure to show up to the final day of negotiations on October 31. The BCMEA said it had taken this step considering the union’s tough stance and would withdraw its notice to blockade the premises if the union withdrew its strike notice. The two sides held three days of mediation talks this week but were unable to reach an agreement. The previous labour agreement expires in March 2023.<\/p>\n
The Port of Vancouver has already seen two strikes this year, one involving two of Canada’s major rail companies in August and a multi-day strike at several grain terminals in September. Last year, dockworkers’ strike lasted 13 days and had a major impact on the Canadian economy.<\/p>\n
The economic impact of another strike or blockade of facilities that halts port operations at the start of the Christmas shopping season would be huge. Attention is focused on whether the federal government will intervene as it did in the case of the railroad companies.<\/p>\n
A partial strike is also currently underway at the Port of Montreal, Quebec, Canada’s second-largest port.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"