IMAGE: Screen seize from CBC News video
A tentative settlement has been reached within the labor dispute between the ILWU Canada and the British Columbia Maritime Employers Association (BCMEA). The B.C. port strike has brought on an estimated CAD 9.7 billion disruption in commerce since July 1 and, on Tuesday, Canada’s Minister of Labour, Seamus O’Regan Jr., stepped in.
“Since late April, the BCMEA and the ILWU have been intensively working with federal mediators to try to reach a renewed collective bargaining agreement for their members,” he stated. “Today, after eleven days of a work stoppage, I have decided that the difference between the employer’s and the union’s positions is not sufficient to justify a continued work stoppage.”
He stated that he had requested that the senior federal mediator ship a written suggestion of the phrases of settlement to him inside 24 hours.
“Once I have received the terms of settlement, I will forward them to the parties and they will have 24 hours to decide whether or not to recommend ratification of the terms to their principals,” stated the Labour minister.
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Yesterday the minister, together with Canada’s Minister of Transport, Omar Alghabra, issued an announcement saying: “At 10:20 PDT, Minister O’Regan received notice that both the BCMEA and the ILWU have accepted the Terms of Settlement from federal mediators. The parties have reached a tentative agreement. The parties are finalizing details for the resumption of work at the ports.”
“The scale of this disruption has been significant,” stated the assertion. “The extent of it has shown just how important the relationship between industry and labor is to our national interest. Our supply chains and our economy depend on it. We do not want to be back here again. Deals like this, made between parties at the collective bargaining table, are the best way to prevent that. They are the best way to preserve the long-term stability of Canada’s economy. But we do not want to be back here again.”
The British Columbia Maritime Employers Association (BCMEA) stated: “The events have reached a tentative settlement on a brand new 4-year deal that acknowledges the abilities and efforts of B.C.’s waterfront workforce.
“The tentative settlement is topic to ratification by each events, and subsequently, particulars of the settlement won’t be launched at the moment.
“In partnership with our member employers, the BCMEA is committed to working closely with ILWU Canada and their Locals and supply chain partners to safely resume operations as soon as possible.”
LONGEST B.C. PORT STRIKE IN 40 YEARS
In an announcement welcoming the tentative deal, Greater Vancouver Board of Trade president and CEO, Bridgitte Anderson, stated that the chamber, “welcomes the information {that a} tentative deal has been reached, signaling the tip of the current B.C. port strike.
“While we are pleased to see this positive development, it will take some time for normal cargo operations to restore and for the economy to recover fully.,” Anderson continued. “This is the longest strike now we have had in almost 40 years on the waterfront, and it follows a interval of nice instability for our provide chains. The 13-day strike has had a major impression on Canada’s west coast ports and Canadian economic system, disrupting an estimated CAD 9.7 billion in commerce, as reported by the Board of Trade’s Port Shutdown Calculator estimation instrument as of this morning. The penalties of the strike have been felt throughout varied industries nationwide and can proceed for a while.
“Looking forward, we need to rebuild our reputation as a stable trading partner and ensure the future resiliency and stability of our supply chain. The road to recovery will require concerted efforts from all stakeholders involved, and industry and government must work together to ensure such disruptions do not happen again in the future. We ask the federal government to explore adding additional tools in their toolkit that can better address labor disputes on the waterfront to avoid further damage to our supply chain.”
