Possible BC port strike will spare cruise ships, employers say
VANCOUVER – A possible strike by dockers in British Columbia will not disrupt cruise ships docked in Vancouver, Prince Rupert or Vancouver Island, employers say.
The BC Maritime Employers Association says it and the union representing cargo shippers have “confirmed” that cruise ships will continue to be serviced if a strike breaks out Saturday morning.
The association says in a statement that the waiver was a result of the federal “mediation and mediation process.”
The International Longshore and Warehouse Union Canada issued a 72-hour strike notice on Wednesday and is expected to strike at 8 a.m. Saturday unless an agreement is reached or progress is made in negotiations.
The Vancouver Fraser Port Authority schedule shows three cruise ships docked, Royal Caribbean’s Radiance of the Seas, Seabourn’s Odyssey and Cunard’s Queen Elizabeth.
The Greater Victoria Harbor Authority also displays three cruise ships in port, The Royal Princess, The Norwegian Bliss and Holland America’s Eurodam.
The strike notice, issued Wednesday, affects about 7,400 terminal freight loaders and 49 employers on the county’s waterfront in more than 30 BC ports.
The union says outsourcing, port automation and cost of living are key issues in the dispute.
Federal ministers and British Columbia Prime Minister David Eby have urged both sides to find a way to avoid job strikes, with Eby saying on Wednesday he was “deeply concerned” about the potential impact of a strike.
This report from The Canadian Press was first published on June 30, 2023.
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