(Vancouver) A union expert hopes the federal government won’t rush to intervene in the BC port dispute, even if union members reject a tentative deal with employers on Friday.

The International Longshore and Warehouse Union Canada concludes the two-day vote at 6 p.m., after a tumultuous period marked by the 13-day closure of more than 30 port terminals and other sites last month.

McGill University associate professor Barry Eidlin believes it’s best for the federal government to let the dispute be resolved at the negotiating table, regardless of the outcome of the vote.

He says the prospect of federal intervention represents “returning to a bygone era,” where basic workers’ rights were not respected.

The tentative contract between the union and the British Columbia Maritime Employers Association was announced on Sunday, a day after federal Labor Minister Seamus O’Regan ordered the Canada Industrial Relations Board to impose an agreement or binding arbitration if it decides that a negotiated resolution is not possible.

Union leaders say the main concerns of workers relate to automation and the contracting out of maintenance work, both of which present fundamental challenges for the future of port jobs.

The July 1-13 strike ended when a previous tentative agreement was reached, but union members voted it down on July 28, prompting Minister O’Reagan to demand involvement of the Industrial Relations Board.