Labor talks continue in BC dockers’ strike that could have major economic consequences

Negotiations between longshoremen and their BC employers continued into the evening on Canada Day, as the federal Secretary of Labor said he would remain in Vancouver during the talks.

Dock workers across BC went on strike Saturday morning in a wide-ranging jobs campaign that could impact global shipping.

The International Longshore and Warehouse Union Canada (ILWU) had issued a 72-hour strike notice on Wednesday and officially left the job at 8am on Saturday.

Seamus O’Regan, the federal Secretary of Labor, came to Vancouver in response to the jobs campaign. He said on Twitter that “the best deals for both parties” are reached through negotiations, and that federal mediators assisted during the talks.

“The parties are still at the negotiating table for more than 24 straight hours,” O’Regan’s press secretary Hartley Witten said in a statement Saturday night. “Secretary O’Regan remains in Vancouver and has no plans to leave the city.”

The strike affects about 7,400 terminal freight loaders and 49 of the province’s waterfront employers in more than 30 BC ports, including Canada’s busiest, Vancouver.

Outsourcing, port automation and cost of living are the main themes behind the union’s action, according to the ILWU.

Their employer, the BC Maritime Employers Association, issued a statement saying that attempts to negotiate with a federal mediator over the course of three days were unsuccessful.

“Our negotiating committee has repeatedly tried to be flexible and compromise on key priorities, but unfortunately the parties have yet to succeed in reaching a settlement,” the statement read.

“We appreciate the assistance of federal mediators in supporting the parties and we remain open to any solutions that lead to a balanced agreement.”

The union said the decision to strike – which came after an overwhelmingly successful member vote, with 99.24 percent of workers voting in favor – had not been taken lightly.

“For the future of our workforce, we had to take this step. We still hope that a settlement will be reached through FREE collective bargaining!” reads a statement from ILWU Canada President Rob Ashton who added that the negotiating committee was ready to meet and fight for the rights of the working class.

At the Maritime Labor Center in East Vancouver, union members gathered on Saturday mornings, combing through lists posted on exterior walls for their picketing orders.

Striking workers were dispatched to various port locations and a small group of ILWU members walked around the port entrance of Clark and Hastings in East Vancouver on Saturday morning.

The men – who wore placards and buttons emblazoned with a cobra snake and the slogan “will strike if provoked” – all declined to comment on the strike.

Federal ministers and BC Prime Minister David Eby had previously urged the county’s longshoremen and employers to find a way to avoid job strikes.

Analysts have said a strike could have a significant impact on global shipping and the Canadian economy.

According to the Maritime Employers Association website, its members contribute $2.7 billion to the national GDP and handled about 16 percent of Canada’s total traded goods worth $180 billion in 2020.

Labor minister says negotiations are ongoing

Federal Labor Secretary Seamus O’Regan said on Saturday that the parties continue to negotiate, adding that “the best deals for both sides will be reached at the table.”

The strike announcement came nearly three months after the last contract expired on March 30, with the ILWU issuing a statement at the time accusing the employers’ organization of demanding “major concessions” from the union despite “record profits during the COVID-19 crisis”. pandemic”. .”

On Friday, both the union and the employer confirmed that the strike would not affect cruise ships docked in Vancouver, Prince Rupert or Vancouver Island.

The Canadian Federation of Independent Business said it was “deeply concerned” about the strike action and urged all parties involved to strike a deal “as soon as possible”.

“Port operations must remain fluid so as not to exacerbate supply chain disruptions and put further pressure on costs, at a time when we are still facing high inflation,” the federation said on Saturday.

Aaron Sandhar, general manager of Richmond-based Sandhar Trucking, said more than 100 of his workers will be affected by the strike and he hopes for a speedy resolution.

“It affects so many different industries,” Sandhar said. “Those containers contain everything that we see around us… it’s not like it’s just one type of commodity or two types of commodity. These are literally all the things that you see around you.”