Employers and the union representing British Columbia port foremen will return to the bargaining table next week with a mediator in the latest attempts to resolve the labor dispute.

The BC Maritime Employers Association says in a news release that it will meet on Oct. 29 with Local 514 of the International Longshore and Warehouse Union, which represents about 700 port supervisors.

The press release indicates that the negotiating session could be extended until October 30 and 31 if necessary.

The last agreement between the two sides expired in March 2023 and the union said in September that members had voted 96 percent in favor of authorizing a strike if necessary.

No labor action took place and no notice of strike or lockout was issued.

Earlier this week, the Canada Industrial Relations Board ruled on complaints from both sides accusing each other of bargaining in bad faith, rejecting the union’s claims, while partly agreeing with the employer on his complaint.

The union claimed that one employer, DP World, had refused to engage on the issue of labor requirements related to port automation, but the board said in its decision that demands of workers “was not presented in the context of collective bargaining or as a negotiation proposal. “

The decision acknowledges that DP World’s “approach of engaging in discussions…may not be conducive to harmonious working relationships”, but adds that there was “no legal requirement” that the company would had to act differently.

The board’s decision also upheld the employers’ complaint against the union for bad faith bargaining “in part,” specifically regarding a labor and compensation proposal presented in April.

The union says negotiations since last year have not resulted in a new agreement.

News of new negotiations comes against the backdrop of several recent disruptions at the Port of Vancouver.

In September, grain terminal workers staged picket lines at six grain terminals in Metro Vancouver before a deal was reached days later.

In August, work stoppages at Canada’s two major railway companies disrupted port operations and the West Coast Express commuter rail service.

In 2023, thousands of workers involved in another dispute at British Columbia’s ports shut down most operations for 13 days and froze billions of dollars of trade on the docks.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published October 25, 2024.