IMAGE: Screen seize from CBC News video
The lengthy operating British Columbia ports labor dispute appears to be like to have lastly been settled. On August 4, members of the ILWU Canada Longshore Division voted 77.64% in favor of ratification of a four-year negotiated tentative settlement with the British Columbia Maritime Employers Association (BCMEA). The tentative B.C. ports deal was reached after the Canada Industrial Relations Board (CIRB) stepped in.
That got here after the union had rejected an earlier tentative settlement, prompting Canada’s Minister of Labour, Seamus O’Regan Jr., to behave.
“As Minister of Labour, I am using my authorities under Section 107 of the Canada Labour Code to preserve industrial peace,” he mentioned on July 29. “I have directed the Canada Industrial Relations Board to determine whether the union’s rejection of the tentative agreement has eliminated the possibility of a negotiated resolution. If the Board determines that to be the case, I have directed them to either impose a new collective agreement on the parties or impose final binding arbitration to resolve outstanding terms of the collective agreement.”
After information {that a} deal had been reached he and Transport Minister Pablo Rodriguez issued a press release saying, amongst different issues, “Collective bargaining is difficult work. But is how the very best most resilient offers are made.“
The BCMEA notes that the settlement that has now been reached with ILWU Canada comes after 5 months of negotiations, conciliation and mediation, and 5 weeks of labor instability at B.C.’s ports.
“The renewed collective agreement,” says BCMEA, “includes increases in wages, benefits and training that recognizes the skills and efforts of B.C.’s waterfront workforce, while providing certainty and stability for the future of Canada’s West Coast ports.”
ILWU Canada has, as but, mentioned nothing publicly about what’s within the new B.C. port deal, however the Canada Industrial Relations Board (CIRB) indicated that details would be released after ratification has been formalized.
