(Vancouver) Talks to end a strike at BC ports have stalled, with both sides accusing each other of being unreasonable.
The British Columbia Maritime Employers’ Association (BCMEA) released a statement on Monday afternoon saying it has gone as far as it can on key issues and does not believe further negotiations will achieve a deal. collective.
The International Longshore and Warehouse Union (ILWU) Canada, which represents thousands of workers who load and unload cargo at terminals at more than 30 ports in British Columbia, said it was the association that “sabotaged progress”.
Thousands of union members walked out on Saturday morning. The two sides negotiated over the weekend and came to the negotiating table early in the day on Monday.
The association said it had put forward “reasonable proposals and positions in good faith”, but the union refused to budge.
“(The union) went on strike over demands that were and continue to be outside any reasonable scope of settlement. In view of the foregoing, (we are) of the view that further negotiations at this time will not produce a collective agreement,” the statement read.
“(The union) must decide whether it will continue this strike without hope of settlement, or significantly change its position so that a fair and balanced agreement can be reached,” it added.
The main stumbling block appears to be maintenance work, with the association accusing the union of trying to change definitions and “aggressively broaden their reach”. Union president Rob Ashton said ILWU Canada is working to stop “skills erosion” and the massive use of contractors.
“While we finally had a widely approved document following continued movement by the union on this position, the association decided to change their position in an attempt to cover their tracks and distort the work we discussed. for months,” Ashton said in a statement.
Mr Ashton believes it is reasonable that workers, who he says have helped drive record profits during the pandemic, should have a fair and equitable share of those profits.
The strike has led labor organizations to issue warnings of the long-term consequences across the country, with some pushing the federal government to step in with back-to-work legislation.
The union, meanwhile, warned Ottawa against interference.
“We implore the BCMEA to return to the negotiating table to reach a fair and reasonable agreement that the parties will negotiate together,” Ashton said in his statement.
“It is unrealistic to think that an imposed collective agreement will result in long-term job stability in the industry. The parties must do their best for the whole country and not just for their individual goals. »
Federal Labor Minister Seamus O’Regan said the objective of the negotiations “must be achieved at the table”.
The association represents 49 private sector employers operating in BC ports and its website indicates that the industry contributes $2.7 billion to Canada’s GDP while processing approximately 16% of the total goods traded in the country. , or 180 billion in 2020.