The main union representing dockworkers in Western Canada said on Wednesday July 19 that it had postponed the strike, considered illegal without notice, and planned a new walkout on Saturday in ports critical to trade and the economy.
After thirteen days of strike at the beginning of the month, workers at the port of Vancouver in particular had stopped their social movement last week, before resuming it on Tuesday, finally rejecting the wage agreement reached. On Wednesday, the Canada Industrial Relations Board (CIRB) ruled that “72 hours’ notice was required” before the International Longshoremen’s and Warehousemen’s Union of Canada (ILWUC) could resume action.
The ILWUC, which represents more than 7,000 workers at 30 western Canadian ports, later said it would appeal the decision but in the meantime would “respect it and return notice” to strike. “Government interference, like the CIRB’s decision, will only lengthen the strike,” the union said, but said it “regrets the economic consequences of this labor dispute.”
The day before, union negotiators had rejected the agreement reached after the first 13 days of the strike, saying they doubted that the agreement could protect “jobs today or tomorrow”. Subcontracting, port automation and the cost of living are the main reasons for the strike.
“My patience has reached its limit”
On the management side, the British Columbia Maritime Employers Association (BCMEA) called the ILWUC’s renewed strike “unnecessary and thoughtless.” The strike has “caused immense damage to Canada’s commercial reputation and disrupted the transportation of goods worth at least 10 billion Canadian dollars” (6.7 billion euros), the BCMEA said in a statement, citing an estimate from the Greater Vancouver Chamber of Commerce.
The Chamber called on the federal government to “actively participate in finding a solution to reopen our ports.”
“My patience has reached its limits,” Transport Minister Omar Alghabra said at a press conference on Wednesday. Contacted by Agence France-Presse (AFP), his ministry did not specify its intentions, stressing that it was examining “all options”. Prime Minister Justin Trudeau also announced on Wednesday the convening of the Incident Response Group, an emergency committee usually mobilized to respond to major crises.
According to Gilles LeVasseur, professor of law and management at the University of Ottawa, the Canadian government still has recourse to end the strike. “The government could try to pass a special bill through the House of Commons to force a return to work and put in place a negotiation mechanism,” he told AFP.
In this case, the dockers would be obliged to work at the same time as they negotiate with the employer, and in the event of disagreement an agreement could be imposed by an external mediator. The resumption of this strike will have significant repercussions on the North American market, but also on the world because of the significant trade with Asia and the United States.