Close X
Saturday, November 23, 2024
ADVT 
National

B.C. port union to recommend settlement agreement to its members

Darpan News Desk The Canadian Press, 21 Jul, 2023 03:55 PM
  • B.C. port union to recommend settlement agreement to its members

The International Longshore and Warehouse Union Canada said it will meet next week to recommend the terms of a settlement deal to its membership, possibly bringing labour peace to British Columbia's ports. 

The BC Maritime Employers Association said Friday the agreement to be presented to workers is the same one the union's caucus rejected just days ago.

In a statement, the association said the deal is the proposal reached with a federal mediator and was originally agreed to by both sides on July 13.

"The tentative agreement presented is the result of months of negotiations and mediation," the association statement said, adding that employers are "hopeful" the union's membership will fully ratify it when a vote is held, possibly late next week.

Workers shut down provincial port facilities for 13 days earlier this month, then returned to work only to walk off the job again briefly on Tuesday when the union's caucus rejected the mediated agreement. 

Union president Rob Ashton said in a written statement that members will take the 8 a.m. shift off next Tuesday for the meeting where the deal will be presented.

News of a possible agreement broke late Thursday as the union's Local 502 said on its website that the union would hold an "emergency contract caucus" Friday to decide if the deal would be sent to a full-membership vote for ratification or rejection. 

The two sides had been negotiating a new collective agreement since March but reached an impasse despite the aid of a federal mediator, triggering the strike from July 1 to July 13.

The job action by about 7,400 workers froze billions of dollars' worth of goods at Canada's key West Coast import and export points.

In a tweet sent moments after the union announcement, federal Labour Minister Seamus O'Regan thanked the union for sending the terms of the agreement to a vote.

The announcement capped a tumultuous week in the dispute, with the union's rejection of the agreement, an hours-long strike on Tuesday and then a decision from the Canada Industrial Relations Board that said the job action was illegal. 

Workers went back to the job while the union issued 72-hour notice planned for Saturday, only to rescind it hours later. 

The turbulent turn of events has left industry groups hesitant to express optimism in the union's latest announcement.

The Greater Vancouver Board of Trade paused its port shutdown calculator Friday that estimated the cost of disruptions, but declined to comment until after the union membership's vote.

The Canadian Manufacturers and Exporters said in a news release that it is cautious in its optimism that the dispute has been resolved, as the original 13-day strike damaged Canada's global reputation "as a reliable place to do business."

"We are closely watching the situation and remain hopeful for a successful resolution," the group's president Dennis Darby said. "However, manufacturers and our economy cannot continue to withstand these disruptions that are severely impacting our sector."

Darby also said the federal government needs to consider introducing measures to prevent similar events from happening again.

The dispute, which disrupted operations at Canada's largest port in Vancouver, triggered vocal responses from both political and business leaders across Canada, with some, including Alberta Premier Danielle Smith, calling for back-to-work legislation.

Earlier this week, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau convened an incident response group over the uncertainty at B.C. ports, saying it was unacceptable that the union rejected the tentative deal that had been agreed to by negotiators on both sides.

 

MORE National ARTICLES

Largest grocers making more on food sales: competition watchdog

Largest grocers making more on food sales: competition watchdog
Most Canadians buy groceries in stores owned by a handful of grocery giants, with Canada’s three largest grocers — Loblaws, Sobeys, and Metro — collectively reporting more than $100 billion in sales and $3.6 billion in profits last year, the study found.   

Largest grocers making more on food sales: competition watchdog

Provinces with existing dental coverage got smaller share of federal kids' benefit

Provinces with existing dental coverage got smaller share of federal kids' benefit
Prince Edward Island, Nunavut, Newfoundland and Labrador, Quebec, Nova Scotia and Yukon all cover at least basic dental care for children — and received less funding than the national average. The only other provinces to fall below the national average were British Columbia and New Brunswick.

Provinces with existing dental coverage got smaller share of federal kids' benefit

Infrastructure at centre of Western Canada premiers' meeting in Whistler, B.C.

Infrastructure at centre of Western Canada premiers' meeting in Whistler, B.C.
Host Premier David Eby says he and his counterparts from western provinces and territories agree on calling on the federal government to boost infrastructure funding, given the increased stresses on transportation grids across Western Canada.

Infrastructure at centre of Western Canada premiers' meeting in Whistler, B.C.

Faith of Canadians in Biden, U.S. slipped in the spring, Pew survey suggests

Faith of Canadians in Biden, U.S. slipped in the spring, Pew survey suggests
But there are clear signs — both in Canada and around the world — that early into his third year as the 46th U.S. president, the global euphoria that greeted Joe Biden's election win in 2020 has drifted from optimism to apprehension. 

Faith of Canadians in Biden, U.S. slipped in the spring, Pew survey suggests

Coquitlam RCMP need public's help in locating missing man Harman Dhaliwal

Coquitlam RCMP need public's help in locating missing man Harman Dhaliwal
Coquitlam RCMP is asking for the public’s assistance in locating a missing man, 32-year old Harman Dhaliwal. Harman was last seen on Sunday, June 25, 2023 leaving his residence near Como Lake Avenue and Blue Mountain Street in Coquitlam at 10:00 a.m.  

Coquitlam RCMP need public's help in locating missing man Harman Dhaliwal

David Eby resists early vote in B.C. despite big byelection wins for NDP

David Eby resists early vote in B.C. despite big byelection wins for NDP
Eby says although his party's candidates did "exceptionally well" on Saturday in the ridings of Vancouver-Mount Pleasant and Langford-Juan de Fuca on Vancouver Island, he'll stick with the fixed election date in October 2024.

David Eby resists early vote in B.C. despite big byelection wins for NDP