Close X
Friday, November 22, 2024
ADVT 
National

B.C. cargo flow should be back to normal in days after port strike, says researcher

Darpan News Desk The Canadian Press, 14 Jul, 2023 12:17 PM
  • B.C. cargo flow should be back to normal in days after port strike, says researcher

A logistics researcher says it should take only days for cargo flow to return to pre-strike levels at B.C. ports after a 13-day work stoppage ended with a tentative deal.

But Simon Fraser University Prof. Peter V. Hall says the port employers need to work with the union on significant long-term "structural changes" such as training to deal with the onset of automation.

Hall says he hopes the tentative agreement between the B.C. Maritime Employers Association and International Longshore and Warehouse Union Canada that was announced Thursday includes some sort of commitment towards that goal, since ports including Vancouver will face challenges on that front.

Port workers were back on the job Thursday afternoon, with the BCMEA saying more than 500 were being dispatched at Vancouver's inner harbour by 8 a.m. today.

Vancouver Fraser Port Authority's operations dashboard this morning shows the Centerm, Vanterm, Deltaport and Fraser Surrey terminals all "operating normally," with truck waiting times for loading and unloading ranging from 20 minutes to one hour and 13 minutes.

The union, which represents 7,400 workers in the job action that began July 1, has not yet commented on the pact. 

The agreement, which the BCMEA says lasts four years, is subject to ratification by members of both the union and the maritime employers, and no additional details have been released.

Federal Labour Minister Seamus O'Regan said Thursday that the strike that had snarled trade worth billions was over and thanked both sides.

But he and Transport Minister Omar Alghabra said in a statement that the extent of the disruption showed the importance of the relationship between industry and labour, and that Canada's "supply chains and our economy depend on it."

The tentative agreement to end the strike came after O'Regan ordered a mediator to issue terms for a settlement, saying the gap in the deadlocked talks was "not sufficient to justify a continued work stoppage."

 

MORE National ARTICLES

19-year-old firefighter who died in B.C. is identified by her brother

19-year-old firefighter who died in B.C. is identified by her brother
The firefighter was working on brush-clearing in a remote area where a fire had started. Her team found her pinned under a fallen tree and began first aid, but she succumbed to her injuries after being airlifted to a hospital in Revelstoke.  

19-year-old firefighter who died in B.C. is identified by her brother

Mission stabbing victim dies of his injuries

Mission stabbing victim dies of his injuries
On Thursday, at 6:13 p.m., the Mission RCMP were called to the area of the 32500-block of Lougheed Highway. Upon arrival, officers discovered a 42-year old man, suffering from a stab wound. The victim was transported to a local hospital, where sadly, he succumbed to his injuries.  

Mission stabbing victim dies of his injuries

Sextortion on the rise in Kelowna

Sextortion on the rise in Kelowna
Mounties in Kelowna are warning about an increase of so-called sextortion targeting boys between the ages of 14 and 17. They say the victims often receive friend requests through popular social media sites, and engage in flirtatious conversations.  

Sextortion on the rise in Kelowna

Unprovoked stabbing lands tourist in hospital

Unprovoked stabbing lands tourist in hospital
The victim, a 28-year-old visitor from New Zealand, was allegedly stabbed from behind by a man not known to him, on the corner of Nelson and Granville just before 8 p.m. He took himself to hospital for non-life-threatening injuries.

Unprovoked stabbing lands tourist in hospital

B.C. residents urged to conserve water as worsening drought conditions parch province

B.C. residents urged to conserve water as worsening drought conditions parch province
Emergency Management and Climate Readiness Minister Bowinn Ma called on residents, farmers, businesspeople and industrial plant operators to take urgent steps to cut water use. 

B.C. residents urged to conserve water as worsening drought conditions parch province

Facebook rental scams: Surrey RCMP

Facebook rental scams: Surrey RCMP
Mounties say scammers advertise a property and explain that a deposit is required to secure the property due to high demand. Communication with the renter usually ends once an e-transfer of funds is sent and without the rental property being seen.

Facebook rental scams: Surrey RCMP

PrevNext