A tentative agreement has been reached between the International Longshore and Warehouse Union (ILWU) and the British Columbia Maritime Employers Association (BCMEA), a July 13 news release said. This puts to end an almost two week strike which started on July 1 and saw 7,200 port workers at roughly 30 B.C. ports walk off the job.
The new four-year deal recognizes the skills and efforts of B.C.’s waterfront workforce, BCMEA said. As the agreement is subject to ratification by both parties details of the agreement won’t be released yet.
“The BCMEA recognizes and regrets the significant impact this labour disruption has had on the economy, businesses, workers, customers and ultimately, all Canadians,” BCMEA said in the release. “We must collectively work together to not only restore cargo operations as quickly and safely as possible but to also rebuild the reputation of Canada’s largest gateway and ensure supply chain stability and resilience for the future.”
On June 28, ILWU issued the 72-hour strike notice stating it was seeking a fair deal that respects Longshore workers and that negotiations were ongoing since February.
“We are seeking recognition for the hard work and sacrifices that Longshore Workers made during the pandemic and the extraordinary work that Longshore Locals did in getting workers out to the terminals during the lockdowns,” ILWU President Rob Ashton said in the strike notice release.
In a July 10 news release, ILWU stated it was working to get a fair wage increase, but contract negotiations were being blocked by shipping companies and terminal employers whose profits have exploded over the past three years.
The strike affected shipments from Canada and led to cargo backlogs. On July 11 Nutrien announced it would be curtailing production at its Cory potash mine due to the loss of export capacity through Canpotex’s Neptune terminal because of the strike.
