B.C. port strike: New tentative deal would mean ‘long-term stability,’ O’Regan says | Globalnews.ca
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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.
“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.
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.
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.
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
© 2023 Global News, a division of Corus Entertainment Inc.
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