Longshore foremen at the Ports of Vancouver and Prince Rupert are preparing a strike vote, with the results to be announced after Canada’s labor tribunal adjudicates an ongoing dispute between the foremen’s union and maritime employers about staffing levels at the DP World container terminal in Vancouver.
The British Columbia Maritime Employers Association (BCMEA) said in a statement Friday that Local 514 of the International Longshore and Warehouse Union (ILWU) “would be conducting an industry-wide strike vote in the coming weeks.”
The BCMEA said the strike vote comes as Local 514 awaits a hearing before the Canada Industrial Relations Board (CIRB) about a union proposal on staffing levels at DP World Centerm.
The CIRB hearing is scheduled for August 6 through 9, at the end of which the union will release the results of the strike vote. If authorized, Local 514 will then provide a 72-hour notice of intent to strike.
What’s not clear is what would happen if CIRB rules in favor of the union and then the results of the Local 514 vote call for a strike.
Local 514 has sought to negotiate a separate contract with DP World about foremen staffing and work rules at Centerm following the installation of remotely operated rail-mounted gantry cranes at the facility. The BCMEA’s position has been that a separate contract with one maritime employer violates the collective bargaining agreement that covers all maritime employers.
The union, which represents 730 longshore foremen throughout Vancouver and Prince Rupert, voted to authorize a strike solely against DP World in early July following the terminal’s refusal to bargain separately with the union. However, the CIRB ruled that the union could not vote to authorize a strike against a single terminal.
“While regrettable, ILWU Local 514’s decision to proceed with an industry-wide strike vote is predictable, given the CIRB’s decision which deemed the union’s previous strike vote and related strike notice to DP World illegal,” the BCMEA said.
The BCMEA and Local 514 have been in talks for a new four-year collective bargaining agreement since the expiration of the last contract in March 2023. But maritime employers say the union’s dispute with DP World has stalled those talks. The BCMEA said it has offered a 19.2% wage increase for longshore foremen over the contract’s term.
Source:
Angell, M. (2024b, July 29). Canadian longshore foremen prep for possible strike after DP world hearing. Journal of Commerce. https://www.joc.com/article/canadian-longshore-foremen-prep-possible-strike-after-dp-world-hearing_20240729.html