By Chuck Chiang, The Canadian Press, November 5, 2024.

A water taxi travels on the Fraser River past unused gantry cranes at the Fraser Surrey Docks in Surrey, British Columbia, on Monday. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Darryl Dyck

VANCOUVER – British Columbia business leaders are urging port employers and more than 700 union workers to immediately resolve their dispute as lockdowns cripple shipping along Canada’s west coast.

The BC Maritime Employers Association says no negotiations are planned a day after launching what it calls a defensive lockout against members of the International Longshore and Warehouse Union Local 514.

Locked out workers began protesting outside terminals across the province, most in Metro Vancouver, but also about 70 workers in Prince Rupert and 20 in Nanaimo.

Dozens of workers carrying signs and waving blue union flags set up a tarpaulin shelter with folding chairs at the entrance to Neptune Terminals in North Vancouver, British Columbia, cheering as passing vehicles honked their horns in a sign of support.

Greater Vancouver Board of Trade president Bridgitte Anderson says the work stoppage at the Port of Vancouver – Canada’s largest – comes at a critical time for the economy, and her organization is calling on the federal government to “step in.” immediately “.

British Columbia Chamber of Commerce President Fiona Famulak is urging employers, the union and Ottawa to “diligently find a solution quickly” to avoid further harm to the Canadian economy.

“The BC Chamber of Commerce supports the right to collective bargaining,” Famulak said in a statement. “However, the inability of the ILWU and BCMEA to negotiate a new agreement and avoid another work stoppage at Canada’s largest port is disappointing.

“Our port infrastructure is too essential to the health and success of businesses and workers for this conflict to continue for another moment. »

Employers and workers represented by Local 514 have been without a contract since March 2023.

The dispute centers on issues such as port automation introduced by port terminal operator DP World and what that would mean for union worker staffing levels.

There were several days of negotiations last week to try to break the impasse, but a “final offer” from the employers led the union to respond with strike notice, prompting the employers to put workers in lockdown from Monday.

The union called the province-wide lockout an overreaction to its plan to implement only an overtime ban, adding that it believes employers are trying to force the federal government to intervene.

Employers, for their part, said they had to lock out workers because a strike notice allows the union to escalate pressure tactics without notice.

The employers’ association also said its final offer – which remains on the table – included a 19.2 percent pay rise over a four-year deal ending in 2027 and presented a fair deal “that recognizes skills and the efforts of 730 hard-working foremen and employees. their families. »

The union said the offer did not address its concerns over guaranteed minimum staffing requirements, given that automation at the port was introduced.

Union President Frank Morena said union negotiators were ready to resume negotiations at any time.

The lockout is the latest in a series of disruptions at the Port of Vancouver this year, with a work stoppage on the nation’s two main rail lines and pickets at grain terminals hampering shipping through the port in summer and in autumn.

A 13-day strike froze trade at British Columbia ports in July 2023.

Anderson said the Greater Vancouver Board of Trade launched a port closure calculator during the 2023 work stoppage to illustrate the economic costs, and the webpage was relaunched during the latest dispute.

“It is imperative that the Canadian government prioritize economic growth, supply chain, stability, trade and investment, particularly during this critical time,” said Mr. Anderson, emphasizing the he US presidential election and the likelihood that protectionist policies will force Canada to step up its game in the future. global trading market.

“We need to be careful to show that we have stable supply chains, that we are a reliable trading partner and that our economy is growing,” she said. “This has not been the case in recent years, and so it is very concerning. »

The Board of Trade said the latest port closure would disrupt the movement of goods worth $800 million daily, with each hour of closure fueling inflation.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published November 5, 2024.

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