British Columbia ship and harbour masters’ strike announcement violates Canadian Labour Code: CIRB

VANCOUVER — The BC Maritime Employers Association says it has withdrawn an industry-wide lockout order after the Canada Industrial Relations Board found that a threatened strike by a union representing ship and harbour masters violated the Canadian Labour Code.

The BCMEA said in a press release on Saturday that it had asked the CIRB to redirect the impending strike against DP World Canada.

The association released another statement on Sunday saying the board had instructed the union to withdraw its July 5 strike notice.

It states that the board’s decision concluded that ILWU Local 514 did not bargain in good faith when it issued a strike notice based on a vote conducted among employees of a single BCMEA member employer.

The association expressed disappointment that these steps had to be taken to ensure the stability of Canada’s west coast ports, but was satisfied with the outcome of the panel’s decision.

It goes on to say that regular cargo and passenger traffic at British Columbia ports will continue without interruption.

The International Longshore and Warehouse Union said in a statement last month that 99 percent of the nearly 600 dockworkers who voted opposed a “final offer” from the employers’ association.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published July 7, 2024.

The Canadian Press