Both sides of the ongoing British Columbia port strike must decide today whether to accept settlement terms that end the 13 days of industrial action recommended by federal arbitrators.
The International Ports and Warehouses Association of Canada and the British Columbia Maritime Employers Association have been given 24 hours to review the recommendations ordered by Commonwealth Minister of Labor Seamus O’Regan and decide whether the agreement is acceptable. .
About 7,400 workers have been on strike since July 1, blocking access to about 30 ports in British Columbia, including Canada’s largest port, Vancouver.
According to the Greater Vancouver Trade Commission, there are 63,000 shipping containers stuck on ships waiting to be unloaded at British Columbia ports, with 245,000 if the strike continues through the end of July. It may expand individually.
Oregan said the gap between unions and employers’ associations “is not enough to justify a continued shutdown.”
Western prime ministers attending a meeting of state and territory leaders in Winnipeg this week agreed that the conflict needed to be resolved.
