(Vancouver) A tentative agreement has been reached between maritime employers and the 7,400 BC port stevedores who had been on strike for nearly two weeks.
In a statement, the province’s maritime employers’ association says it has reached a four-year tentative agreement with the union representing longshoremen, the International Longshore and Warehouse Union Canada.
The tentative agreement was reached after federal Labor Minister Seamus O’Regan asked a mediator to draft the terms of a possible settlement earlier this week. The minister explained Wednesday evening that “the difference between the positions of the employer and the union was not sufficient to justify the continuation” of the strike.
The union and employers had 24 hours to respond to the mediator’s proposed settlement, which both sides received on Wednesday.
Minister Seamus O’Regan wrote on Twitter on Thursday afternoon: “the strike is over”. He added that the union and employers’ association had “agreed to the federal mediators’ settlement terms.” He clarified that the parties are now finalizing the details of the return to work at the ports of British Columbia.
This agreement in principle must now be ratified by both parties, so the details will not be made public. The Maritime Employers Association says the agreement “recognizes the skills and efforts of British Columbia longshoremen.”
Employers say they are now working to restart port operations as soon as possible, but no date for resumption has been specified.
The strike has been interrupted since 1er July shipments to and from about 30 ports in British Columbia, including the largest in Canada, Vancouver.
The Greater Vancouver Chamber of Commerce says as of Wednesday, 63,000 containers were waiting to be unloaded from ships at BC ports. According to the Chamber, this number would have reached 245,000 containers if the strike had lasted until the end of July.
Effects as far as Quebec
The strike had repercussions for businesses here. Paul Beauchamp, first vice-president of Olymel, reminded Thursday The Press the logistical problems that the strike caused for the Quebec pork producer and its links with its customers in Asia. A headache for the company since the delivery times force the transformation of fresh products into frozen products. “It’s an impact that amounts to millions of dollars,” he explained in an interview. We lose a significant value per kilo because it is a product whose value is linked to its condition since it is sold fresh. »
The Port of Vancouver – the largest in the country – is the main gateway for containers imported from Asia. But it is also an important springboard for exporters. According to government data, Quebec exports $2.1 billion worth of pork annually. Around 63% of stocks are sold in China (46%) and Japan (17%).
With the collaboration of The Press