More than 7,400 members of the International Longshore and Warehouse Union Canada walked off the job on Saturday morning after days of federally mediated talks with the BC Maritime Employers Association failed to yield a new labour agreement.
The walkout triggered almost immediate reaction from the national business community, including the Canadian Chamber of Commerce.
Guy said the uncertainty created by the labour dispute at Canada’s busiest ports will hit Canadian families and businesses in the pocket books at a time when inflation has made living and doing business more costly than ever.
The employers association said Saturday that talks took place throughout the night, but negotiators were unable to secure an agreement.
“Over the course of the past couple of days, the BCMEA has continued to advance proposals and positions in good faith, with the objective of achieving a fair deal at the table,” the statement read. “Our Bargaining Committee has made repeated efforts to be flexible and find compromise on key priorities, but regrettably, the Parties have yet to be successful in reaching a settlement.”
The Canadian Federation of Independent Business echoed the Chamber of Commerce’s concerns about the job action now playing out at locations across the province.
At the Maritime Labour Centre in East Vancouver on Saturday morning, union members gathered and scoured lists posted on outside walls for their picketing assignments.
Striking workers were being dispatched to various port locations, and a small group of ILWU members milled about near the port entrance at Clark and Hastings in East Vancouver on Saturday morning.
Federal Labour Minister Seamus O'Regan said Saturday the two sides continue to negotiate, adding “the best deals for both parties are reached at the table.”
The union also said it was seeking to protect members from the “erosion” of work stemming from outside contract workers and port automation.
The association represents 49 private-sector employers operating in B.C. ports, and its website says the industry contributes $2.7 billion to Canada’s GDP while handling roughly 16 percent of the country’s total traded goods, amounting to $180 billion in 2020.