(Vancouver) The International Longshoremen’s and Warehouse Union Canada announces that it will hold a meeting on Tuesday to recommend the terms of a tentative agreement to its members.
In a statement, the BC Maritime Employers Association says the deal was the proposal reached with a federal mediator and was originally agreed to by both parties on July 13.
“The tentative agreement presented is the result of months of negotiations and mediation,” the press release read, adding that the employers “hope” union members will fully ratify it in a vote, possibly late next week.
This latest development could end the labor dispute between the union and the BC Maritime Employers Association, which shut down port facilities in the province for 13 days earlier this month.
Union president Rob Ashton said in a written statement that members will take the 8 a.m. shift on Tuesday for the meeting where the deal will be presented.
News of a potential deal broke late Thursday as the union’s Local 502 said on its website that the union would hold an “emergency contract caucus” on Friday to decide whether to ratify the deal and send it to a vote of all members.
The two sides have been negotiating a new collective agreement since March, but have reached an impasse despite the help of a federal mediator who called the strike from July 1-13.
Industrial action by approximately 7,400 workers has frozen billions of dollars worth of goods at major import and export points on Canada’s west coast.
In a note sent to Twitter moments after the union’s announcement, Federal Labor Minister Seamus O’Regan thanked the union for sending the terms of the agreement to a vote.
“Right now BC ports are working, but we need long-term stability,” he said.
The announcement capped a tumultuous week in the dispute, which saw the union caucus reject the tentative agreement that had been worked out with a mediator, triggering a brief strike before the Canada Industrial Relations Board declared the walkout illegal.
The union then announced a 72-hour notice to resume the strike on Saturday, before calling it off a few hours later.
The Greater Vancouver Area Chamber of Commerce on Friday suspended its port closure calculator, which estimated the cost of the disruptions, but declined to comment ahead of the vote by union members.
Canadian Manufacturers & Exporters said in a news release that they preferred to remain cautious as the initial 13-day strike damaged Canada’s global reputation “as a trusted place to do business.”
“We are monitoring the situation closely and remain hopeful for a successful resolution,” said group president Dennis Darby. However, manufacturers and our economy cannot continue to withstand these disruptions which are seriously affecting our sector. »
Darby also believes the federal government should consider introducing measures to prevent similar events from happening again.
The dispute, which has disrupted operations at Canada’s largest port in Vancouver, has sparked backlash from political and business leaders across Canada, with some, including Alberta Premier Danielle Smith, calling for back-to-work legislation.
Earlier this week, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said it was unacceptable for the union to reject the tentative agreement that had been agreed to by negotiators on both sides.
