Dockworker strike to hit Canada West Coast ports from Monday

The BC Maritime Employers Association (BCMEA) said International Longshore and Warehouse Union Ship & Dock Foremen Local 514 (ILWU Local 514) had given 72 hours written notice of a plan of an industry wide strike from 8am (PT) on 4 November.

Read the latest update - Employers respond with defensive lockout

Despite the two sides have engaged in talks for nearly two years over negotiating a new collective agreement which expired in March 2023, agreement has failed to be reached.

The BCMEA made its final offer on Wednesday which it claimed, “provides a fair agreement without requiring concessions from ILWU Local 514 and covers all matters remaining in dispute”. The response from the ILWU Local 514 has been an official notice to strike according to employers.

Strike action would impact both the ports of Vancouver and Prince Rupert major container gateways on the Canadian West Coast. It would be the latest supply chain disruption to hit Canada including a short lived national rail freight lockout by employers and strike by unions in August.

At the heart of the ILWU Local 514’s action is a dispute with one BCMEA member company DP World (Canada) over manning and automation, however, a local strike called by the union was deemed illegal by the Canada Industrial Relations Board (CIRB) on 7 July.

The union called a strike vote in August which reportedly received 96% support from members. The two sides have been negotiating with the help of the Federal mediator.

Commenting the latest strike notice employers said, “The BCMEA is deeply disappointed with ILWU Local 514’s decision to once again throw Canada’s supply chain into uncertainty and instability. ILWU Local 514’s strike action will have repercussions across B.C.’s waterfront operations, and strike activity can easily escalate, including a complete withdrawal of labour without notice.”

The BCMEA said it was considering its next steps.

A strike by ILWU (Canada) members in July last year over a four-year labour deal with the BCMEA paralysed Canadian West Coast ports for 13 days and was only resolved when the federal government stepped in.