Wednesday, July 19, 2023

B.C. ports face renewed strikes


Union members will be setting up picket lines at British Columbia ports this weekend, continuing a strike that has crippled trade, including exports of Canadian pork, beef and grains and imports of farm machinery and other agriculture inputs.


B.C. port workers say they will resume striking after the job action Tuesday that was ruled illegal, and they were ordered back to work Wednesday morning.


The International Longshore and Warehouse Union Canada served the B.C. Maritime Employers Association (BCMEA) with a 72-hour strike notice starting Saturday morning, the association said.


The BCMEA says resuming strike action that had halted cargo movement for 13 days at the start of the month was "unnecessary and reckless."


The International Longshore and Warehouse Union of Canad rejected a tentative mediated deal it said didn't address cost of living issues for workers.


That prompted federal Labour Minister Seamus O'Regan to call the renewed strike action illegal after the Canada Industrial Relations Board (CIRB) ruled Wednesday morning it was "unlawful." 


The union did not give the required 72-hours notice before striking, according to CIRB's decision.