Eby ‘deeply concerned’ as BC Port Union issues strike notice for 7,400 employees

Federal Ministers and Prime Minister David of British Columbia Eby are urging the county’s longshoremen and employers to find a way to avoid job strikes after the workers’ union issued a 72-hour strike notice and said its members were willing to walk out on Saturday.

The strike notice issued Wednesday by the International Longshore and Warehouse Union Canada affects about 7,400 terminal freight loaders and 49 employers on the province’s waterfront in more than 30 BC ports, including Vancouver, Canada’s busiest.

In a joint statement, Federal Labor Secretary Seamus O’Regan and Transportation Secretary Omar Alghabra said they support the collective bargaining process and urged both sides to strike a deal at the negotiating table.

“Everyone – the employer, the union, the brokers and the government – ​​understands the urgency and what is at stake for Canadians and our supply chains,” the statement said.

“The parties are responsible for the transportation of goods, both nationally and internationally, and industries and consumers would feel the consequences of a work stoppage.”

Eby said at an unrelated press conference that he “profound concerned about the possible consequences of a strike in our ports.”

He said British Columbians have seen rising costs during the pandemic due to inflation and supply chain issues, and a strike that could potentially increase costs is something residents cannot afford.

Negotiations between the union and the BC Maritime Employers Association began in February in an attempt to reach an agreement before their contract expires at the end of March.

Both sides were in a cooling-off period, but it ended on June 21, and union members voted 99.24 percent in favor of strike action this month.

The union said in a statement Wednesday that outsourcing, port automation and cost of living are key issues in the dispute.

“Longshore workers kept this province and country running during the pandemic, and when Canadians were told to shelter in place, our people went to work,” the statement said.

“We have been working under difficult and dangerous conditions to ensure that the communities in which we live, and all Canadians, have the necessary supplies and personal protective equipment to defend themselves against the COVID 19 virus.”

The union said management continues to demand concessions.

The Maritime Employers Association said in a statement on Wednesday that since negotiations began in March it has “raised multiple proposals and positions in good faith, with the aim of moving forward and reaching a fair deal at the table.”

“Despite today’s regrettable development, we remain poised to reconnect with our labor partners through the federal mediation process, with a desire to reach a fair and balanced deal at the table that will keep our ports stable and goods flowing for Canadians” , the statement said. “We remain open to any solution that brings both parties to a balanced agreement.”

Philip Davies, a transportation economist and director of Davies Transportation Consulting Inc. in Vancouver, said agreements between maritime employers and longshoremen are typically long-term agreements that require “pretty hard negotiation”.

Davies said the union has several options other than full strike action to disrupt port operations if negotiations are unsuccessful.

“They may disrupt operations at a single terminal or they may not send enough workers for a single shift,” Davies said. “But then, of course, the employers’ response might be a lockout from the union and closing the terminals, and so any of those things, all of those things are possible.”

“It is, shall we say, a tactical and strategic game,” he said.

Davies said the union’s counterparts on the U.S. west coast just reached a fairly generous deal, and tough bargaining tactics are not uncommon when looking for multi-year deals.

“During the pandemic, the shipping companies made huge profits and I think the dockers definitely felt they should share in that premium,” he said.

On the Canadian front, as negotiations continue ahead of possible strike action this weekend, Davies said dockers on both sides of the border know the vital role they play in the “sea transportation ecosystem” as they seek a collective agreement.

“The dockers want to make sure they’re covered in all circumstances,” he said.