Category: <span>market-updates</span>

Cargo handling at the Western Canadian ports of Vancouver and Prince Rupert was proceeding normally Monday after the longshore union and waterfront employers said in a joint statement they had reached yet another tentative contract agreement in hopes of ending the uncertainty that has hung over the ports for the past month.

Those hopes hang on winning the approval of the rank-and-file of the International Longshore and Warehouse Union (ILWU) Canada. Union members have already rejected one tentative agreement put before them last week.

It wasn’t immediately clear what is different in the latest deal reached late Sunday between ILWU Canada and the British Columbia Maritime Employers Association (BCMEA).

Some clarity was provided by the Canada Industrial Relations Board (CIRB), which issued an order on Sunday calling for a ratification vote to be held no later than Friday; the Port of Vancouver expects voting to take place Thursday and Friday.

The CIRB also ordered that the union will not strike, nor will employers engage in a lockout until the results of the vote are known.

“The parties are recommending ratification of the collective agreement to the union’s membership and member employers, respectively,” ILWU Canada and BCMEA said their statement Sunday.

ILWU Canada’s rank-and file on Friday rejected a four-year agreement that would have increased the base dockworker wage by 19.2% and included a signing bonus of C$3,000.

But ILWU Canada President Rob Ashton, in a statement posted Sunday on the union’s website, indicated that wages were not the main sticking point in the membership’s rejection last week of the initial tentative contract agreement. It’s not known when exactly Ashton’s statement was posted, but presumably it was prior to the joint statement from the union and BCMEA on a new deal being reached.

“The critical issue is the practice of contracting out maintenance work that poses a significant threat to job security and the integrity of the ILWU workforce,” he said.

Ashton added that ILWU Canada wants a renewed commitment from employers to protect ILWU jobs through contract provisions that limit or regulate the extent of maintenance work that employers can contract out.

“By implementing clear guidelines, we can ensure that our members’ livelihoods are secure and that the skills and experience of the ILWU labor force are preserved for the benefit of Canada’s supply chain,” Ashton said.

Port operations normal

Officials at Vancouver, Canada’s largest port, said cargo handling was continuing without disruption Monday.

“Regular operations at the port continue and recovery plans remain in effect,” the port said in an advisory to customers, alluding to the 14 days of strike action by longshore workers that took place earlier in July. It added that six container vessels were at berth, three at anchor and two were waiting to enter the port.

A spokesperson for the Port of Prince Rupert said cargo handling there was also proceeding normally.

Source:

Mongelluzzo, B. (2023, July 31). Western Canada Port Operations Normal as Next Union Contract Vote looms. Journal of Commerce. https://www.joc.com/article/western-canada-port-operations-normal-next-union-contract-vote-looms_20230731.html