Union warns Ottawa not to interfere in BC dockers’ strike as talks continue
VANCOUVER — The union representing thousands of striking longshoremen in British Columbia is asking the federal government not to intervene after business groups called for legislation to return to work.
The president of the International Longshore and Warehouse Union Canada, Rob Ashton, held a press conference Sunday afternoon after 7,400 members left work Saturday morning.
Ashton says federally brokered talks with the BC Maritime Employers Association are underway, warning that talks must continue to maintain “labour peace” on the waterfront.
Business groups across Canada have raised the alarm about the potential economic fallout from the strike, which affects thousands of freight loaders and 49 employers on the province’s waterfront in more than 30 ports across the province.
Responding to calls for legislation to return to work, a spokesman for Labor Secretary Seamus O’Regan said in a statement that the federal government does not look beyond the negotiating table because that is where the best deals are struck.
The union has previously said outsourcing, port automation and cost of living are key issues in the dispute.
This report from The Canadian Press was first published on July 2, 2023.
