The two sides in the labor dispute affecting British Columbia ports will have to decide Thursday whether they accept the terms of a deal recommended by a federal mediator that would end the 13-day strike.
The International Longshore and Warehouse Union Canada and the British Columbia Maritime Employers Association were given 24 hours to review the recommendations forwarded by federal Labor Minister Seamus O’Regan and decide whether to accept the agreement.
According to a source familiar with the negotiations, the union and the employers’ association received the terms on Wednesday, although neither side confirmed having received the document.
About 7,400 workers have been on strike since July 1, halting shipments to and from some 30 BC ports, including Canada’s largest, the Port of Vancouver.
The Greater Vancouver Chamber of Commerce says 63,000 containers are stuck on ships waiting to be unloaded at ports across the province. This number could reach 245,000 if the strike continues until the end of July.
Minister O’Regan said on Tuesday evening that the difference between the positions of the employer and the union was “not sufficient to justify the continuation” of the strike.
The premiers of the western provinces who attended the Council of the Federation in Winnipeg this week were unanimous on the need to resolve the conflict.
