Canadian port workers deal on table to end strikes
01 / 08 / 2023
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Strikes at the ports of Vancouver and Prince Rupert are understood by Air Cargo News to have ended after the announcement of a new settlement for workers.
Industrial action involving over 7,000 dockworkers belonging to the International Longshore and Warehouse Union (ILWU) Canada began on July 1 after the ILWU failed to reach an agreement with the British Columbia Maritime Employers Association (BCMEA).
The ILWU Canada said in a statement on July 30: “The ILWU Canada Longshore Bargaining committee is happy to announce that we have secured a negotiated tentative settlement with the BCMEA. This will be presented to our members as per our constitution.”
The strike action could have resulted in supply chain congestion, with shipments diverted to airports in Canada and the US, said Airforwarders Association (AfA) executive director Brandon Fried last month.
The path to a settlement has not been a smooth process. Strike action at the ports was called off on July 19 following disagreements about whether the rules for industrial action were followed.
Workers then rejected the terms of a proposed deal, according to ILWU Canada on July 28.
US ports have also been blighted by strikes in recent years, but in June the Pacific Maritime Association and the ILWU in the US announced a tentative agreement on a new six-year contract covering workers at all 29 West Coast ports.
Canada port strikes could see congestion and shift to airfreight
