Close X
Friday, November 22, 2024
ADVT 
National

Longshore Union Stalls Full-Scale Strike, Begins Overtime Ban At Vancouver Port

Darpan News Desk The Canadian Press, 27 May, 2019 07:27 PM

    VANCOUVER — Two major container terminals at the Port of Vancouver will not be behind picket lines although longshore workers are in a legal strike position.


    A 72-hour strike notice issued by the International Longshore and Warehouse Union Canada expired Monday at Global Container Terminals operations in Delta and Vancouver.


    A news release issued on Sunday by union president Robert Ashton said the roughly 2,000 affected members of Locals 500 and 502 would not stage a full-scale strike, but would begin "limited and targeted" job action.


    Jeff Scott, chairman of the B.C. Maritime Employers Association, which bargains for more than 30 member companies at B.C. ports, said the job action relates to overtime.


    Ashton's statement said the union remains optimistic that a fair deal can be achieved, while Scott said more talks are expected, although he wasn't aware of any firm dates following near round-the-clock sessions on the weekend.


    About 6,000 Vancouver-area longshore workers at several employers have been without a contract since March 2018, and 98.4 per cent of those who voted earlier this month supported a strike.


    Scott said the employers association is committed to continuing talks and is hopeful, given the union's decision to take job action.


    "It's significantly different than, obviously, a strike or a walkout so that is positive," he said in a telephone interview.


    "We'll have a better idea by about noon today of how things are playing out."


    Ashton's statement said the union's focus relates to "concerns over automation of the workplace and the potential devastation to our communities."


    A recent Port of Vancouver analysis found a labour disruption could lead to losses of as much as $540 million a day. (The Canadian Press, CTV)

     

    MORE National ARTICLES

    Watch Your Step! Ecologist Warns Bird 'Candy' Catalyst For Extreme Goose Poop

    Watch Your Step! Ecologist Warns Bird 'Candy' Catalyst For Extreme Goose Poop
    People who like to go for a stroll in Regina's Wascana Park are being advised that if they want to avoid stepping in goose poop, they should quit giving unhealthy snacks to the birds.

    Watch Your Step! Ecologist Warns Bird 'Candy' Catalyst For Extreme Goose Poop

    Survey Finds Minimal Progress In Military's Fight Against Sexual Misconduct

    The report was the result of a survey of about 36,000 service members conducted by Statistics Canada for the military last fall, the second such survey after an inaugural run in 2016.

    Survey Finds Minimal Progress In Military's Fight Against Sexual Misconduct

    Westjet Pilot Injured By Green Laser Light While Approaching Orlando Airport

    Westjet Pilot Injured By Green Laser Light While Approaching Orlando Airport
    A WestJet pilot flying from Newfoundland to Orlando International Airport had his eyes burned by a green laser light, U.S. Federal Aviation Administration officials said Wednesday.

    Westjet Pilot Injured By Green Laser Light While Approaching Orlando Airport

    Criminal Charges Rare For Bartenders In Drunk Driving Cases, Legal Experts Say

    Legal experts say criminal charges like those laid against a former bar server in connection with a drunk-driving crash that killed two Ottawa-area teens are rare and difficult to prove.    

    Criminal Charges Rare For Bartenders In Drunk Driving Cases, Legal Experts Say

    Top Soldier Acknowledges Handling Of Afghan Memorial 'Hit A Nerve;' Vows Access

    Canada's top soldier acknowledges that last week's unveiling of the Kandahar memorial without the families of dead soldiers present hit a nerve.

    Top Soldier Acknowledges Handling Of Afghan Memorial 'Hit A Nerve;' Vows Access

    Sitting And Sleeping On Downtown Sidewalks Could Net $100 Fine In Penticton, B.C.

    Sitting And Sleeping On Downtown Sidewalks Could Net $100 Fine In Penticton, B.C.
    PENTICTON, B.C. — Sitting and sleeping on some downtown sidewalks could be banned in Penticton, B.C., this summer as part of the city's plan to crack down on loitering.

    Sitting And Sleeping On Downtown Sidewalks Could Net $100 Fine In Penticton, B.C.