ILWU Canada in u-turn, to recommend labour agreement to members

Just days after the ILWU Canada’s Caucus rejected the tentative agreement put forward by state mediators on 13 July without putting it to a vote of its membership the union has changed its mind.

“On Tuesday, July 25, 2023, there will be a Stop Work meeting for the 0800 shift to recommend the Terms of Settlement to the membership,” ILWU Canada said in a statement on Friday.

The change in course follows the intervention of Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau last week, who called an emergency meeting after the unions rejected the tentative deal and called over 7,000 dockworkers in British Columbia back out on strike.

A 13 day strike at the start of July hit the Canada’s largest port of Vancouver as well as Prince Rupert and disrupted billions of dollars worth of trade putting Canadian business leaders up in arms.

The tentative agreement has already been accepted by employers represented by the BC Maritime Employers Association (BCMEA).

“The tentative agreement presented is the result of months of negotiations and mediation; we are hopeful that the voting membership, like the ILWU Caucus Leadership and Bargaining Committee, will support the fair and equitable deal as recommended by the senior federal mediator,” BCMEA said in a statement.

Related:ILWU Canada withdraws port strike notice after PM calls crisis meeting