Deadlock at Strikebound BC ports not broken by Saturday’s round of negotiations

Striking dockers in British Columbia and their employer held a round of negotiations over the weekend, the first since negotiations broke down a week ago, but neither side said when or if more talks are planned.

About 7,400 members of the International Longshore and Warehouse Union Canada have been on strike since July 1, suspending all cargo handling in the Port of Vancouver, Canada’s busiest port.

Prince Rupert, the country’s third-busiest port, and more than 28 others along the BC coast are also behind picket lines.

The BC Maritime Employers Association says in its latest statement, released Saturday after the round of brokered talks, it has made an offer to meet demands from dock workers to extend union jurisdiction over regular terminal maintenance work. expand.

Jurisdiction over maintenance, as well as improved wages and language to avoid outsourcing and automation, are key issues in the dispute.

The union has not publicly commented on the association’s proposal, but a union leader told a rally in Vancouver on Sunday that control over maintenance is a “line in the sand,” and while dock workers can’t prevent automation, they, not contractors, must make repairs when robots break down.