(Vancouver) The union that represents about 7,400 workers in the BC port dispute has been warned by the Canada Industrial Relations Board that changing its mind on a new deal during ratification would be an “unfair labor practice.”
The council order, issued on Sunday, also says the union must hold a ratification vote on the deal no later than Friday.
The International Longshore and Warehouse Union Canada (union) and the BC Maritime Employers Association (employer) announced a breakthrough late on Sunday, saying in a joint statement that they had reached a new negotiated agreement and would recommend it to their members.
The joint statement said the new tentative agreement was reached with the help of the Industrial Relations Board.
The Industrial Relations Board order, posted online, also says the union must not engage in strike activity and employers must not lockout until the results of the ratification are known. will not be known.
He also orders both parties not to speak to the media.
The long-running dispute saw workers walk off the job at more than 30 port terminals and other sites for 13 days in early July, freezing the movement of billions of dollars worth of goods at some of Canada’s busiest ports.
Sunday’s warning to union leadership comes after a previous proposed contract was backed by union negotiators, then rejected by leaders before changing course and recommending it to members, who sank it in a dispute. a complete vote last week.
After the deal was rejected by union members, Labor Minister Seamus O’Regan announced on Saturday that he was instructing the Industrial Relations Board to determine whether a negotiated end to the dispute was still possible, and if not, to impose a binding final agreement or arbitration.
Pressure had grown for federal intervention if a deal did not work out.
Several bodies, including Alberta Premier Danielle Smith, the Business Council of Canada and the Canadian Federation of Independent Business, have all urged the federal government to legislate to end the dispute if it continues.
On Monday, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said he was confident of the end of the labor dispute with the new agreement and hoped that everything would take place without the intervention of his government.
“There continues to be a deep belief that the best deals always happen at the negotiating table,” he said in a scrum. We make sure that the negotiations continue, because we know how much a work stoppage has an impact on the country’s economy, on farmers, manufacturers, exporters and importers. »
The Prime Minister took the opportunity to shoot an arrow at his opponents in the Conservative Party, after receiving a letter from his leader Pierre Poilievre who was worried about the labor dispute and asked him to dismiss Minister O’Reagan.
“Pierre Poilievre has no credibility when it comes to labor disputes,” Mr. Trudeau said. Let us remember that Pierre Poilievre was a key player in a government that was known for its anti-union positions. »
“On the other hand, he did not hesitate to stand alongside the demonstrators of the ‘freedom convoy’ and even to encourage them,” said Mr. Trudeau.
“Our government is serious and responsible, and we will continue to do what is necessary to ensure that the economy is doing well. »
