Canadian Chamber of Commerce wants to prevent BC Port Strike, mentions economic impact

The Canadian Room of Commerce says it is “deeply disturbed” that the British Columbia longshoremen’s union has issued a strike notice and is ready to leave on Saturday.

The room released a statement calling on the federal government to “use all the tools in its toolbox” to avoid a strike.

It says the closing of Canadian ports would fuel inflation, increase costs for people and businesses and seriously damage the economy.

This comes after federal ministers and BC Premier David Eby publicly urged the county’s longshoremen and employers to find a way to avoid job strikes.

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.

The union says outsourcing, port automation and cost of living are key issues in the dispute.

Negotiations between the International Longshore and Warehouse Union Canada 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 parties were in a cooling-off period, but it ended on June 21.

Union members voted 99.24 percent in favor of strike action earlier this month.