B.C. port strike: Federal labour minister launches review to uncovers ‘structural issues’

Federal Labour Minister Seamus O’Regan is launching an examination of the recently resolved British Columbia port dispute to see if “structural issues” in negotiations led to a 13-day work stoppage.

In a written statement released through social media platform X, formerly known as Twitter, O’Regan says officials will immediately begin by reviewing reports on previous, similar disputes.

O’Regan says the goal is to create long-term solutions leading to “a harmonious working environment” between unions and employers in future collective bargaining.

Labour experts say the federal government may have limited options to prevent future stoppages similar to the July 1 to July 13 B.C. port strike that froze movements of cargo worth billions of dollars.

University of Manitoba associate professor of Labour Studies David Camfield says workers’ right to strike in Canada is already “very narrowly circumscribed,” with only unionized workers eligible to take job action at a specific time after a collective agreement has expired.

Camfield says a push by the government to further limit strike action during collective negotiations – an act protected by the Charter of Rights and Freedoms – may end up triggering legal challenges and getting bogged down in courts.

The International Longshore and Warehouse Union Canada, representing about 7,400 workers, said last Friday that its members voted almost 75 per cent in favour of ratifying a new deal.

Terms of the deal ratified by both the union and the BC Maritime Employers Association include a commitment by employers to train workers to perform maintenance on new equipment.

Contracting out maintenance work to third parties had been one of the most contentious issues during the dispute.

The four-year agreement also contains several terms about workers’ compensation, including boosts to hourly wages to a base rate of $57.51 by 2026.

There are also increases in the “Modernization and Mechanization retirement lump sum,” bringing that payout to $96,250 in 2026 for eligible retirees, over and above normal pension entitlements.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Aug. 9, 2023.