Port union warns Ottawa to ‘stay out of our business’ as strike talks fail to reach agreement
Negotiators trying to end a strike by more than 7,000 longshoremen in British Columbia failed to reach an agreement on Sunday when the union representing striking workers warned Ottawa not to intervene.
Dock workers in BC walked off work Saturday morning in a wide-ranging job sweep that could impact global shipping and the Canadian economy.
On Sunday afternoon, the International Longshore and Warehouse Union (ILWU) warned Ottawa against considering any return-to-work legislation or the imposition of a contract, as it would disrupt “labor peace” in the province.
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.
The union accused their employer, the BC Maritime Employers Association, of pushing Ottawa to impose a deal, a move that Federal Labor Secretary Seamus O’Regain said he is not considering.
“Labor peace in this industry is because the government doesn’t interfere in business between a union and their employers,” Rob Ashton, president of ILWU Canada, told reporters in Vancouver. “The federal government should stay out of our business.”
O’Regan was in Vancouver all weekend and said he planned to stay during the talks. But in a statement, his spokesman said the negotiating table is where such disputes should be resolved.
According to the BC Maritime Employers Association (BCMEA) website, its members contribute $2.7 billion to the national GDP.
By Sunday night, both sides had failed to reach an agreement after two grueling days of negotiations. According to the BCMEA, one of their sessions lasted 33 hours.
“This labor disruption has shut down the vast majority of BC’s maritime terminals for five consecutive shifts, damaging supply chains across the country and immediately impacting Canadians and businesses,” the association wrote in a statement.
The union declined to comment on allegations it wanted a government-mandated deal, but said it had put forward nine proposals so far to advance negotiations this weekend.
“We are — and have been since the first day of negotiations — determined to reach a fair and balanced deal,” the statement said.
‘We can’t let this drag on’
Meanwhile, business organizations such as the Canadian Chamber of Commerce have called on the federal government to return to work to end the labor stoppage.
A spokesman said the strike could cost the economy up to $5.5 billion for every week workers are off work.
“We can’t let this drag on,” Matthew Holmes, a senior vice president at the Canadian Chamber of Commerce, said on Sunday. “We need the government to step in, and we need them to step in quickly… and enforce legislation to get back to work if we need to.”
About 7,400 BC longshoremen went on strike this weekend, prompting immediate concerns about the impact on the supply chain and whether the federal government should step in to prevent major disruptions.
‘A fair and balanced deal’
However, O’Regan said only negotiations between parties at the negotiating table will end the crisis.
O’Regan said on Twitter on Sunday that “the best deals for both sides” are reached at the table and that federal mediators were assisting during the talks.
The BCMEA and ILWU are still at the negotiating table with federal mediators working on a deal.
The focus should be on the table. All our energy should be directed to the table.
Because that’s where the best deals are made. Canadians count on it.
Outsourcing, port automation and cost of living are the main themes behind the union’s action, according to the ILWU.
The jobs campaign has received support from others in the labor movement. The Canadian Labor Congress said in a tweet on Saturday “it stands in solidarity with ILWU Canada in their fight to protect union jobs and build a strong collective agreement.” And the BC Federation of Labor also expressed its support on Twitter.
