Canada port strike ends, unions and employers in tentative agreement

The International Longshore & Warehouse Union (ILWU Canada) and the BC Maritime Employers Association (BCMEA) have reached an agreement on a new four-year labour deal.

The two parties have accepted a settlement recommended by federal mediators. Earlier in the week Canadian Minister of Labour Seamus O’Regan had stepped in to ask the federal mediator to recommend a settlement in an effort to bring an end to the strike.

“The parties are finalising details for resumption of work at the ports,” said a joint statement from the Labour Minister and Alghabra.

The statement said the scale of disruption to the Canadian economy and supply chain has been significant and, “We do not want to be back here again.”

The strike impacted both the ports of Vancouver and Prince Rupert major container gateways on the Canadian West Coast.

The BCMEA said: “In partnership with our member employers, the BCMEA is committed to working closely with ILWU Canada and their locals and supply chain partners to safely resume operations as soon as possible.”