Canada’s West Coast Ports to Lockout Union After Foreman File Strike Notice
The long-simmering West Coast labor dispute at Canada’s West Coast ports is set to disrupt cargo operations as the union filed notice of a strike and the employers responded with a lockout notice due to start Monday, November 4. Businesses are calling for the federal government to intervene to prevent the second closure in two years of Canada’s busiest ports.
The International Longshore and Warehouse Union Ship & Dock Foreman Local 514 filed on Thursday a 72-hour advance notice of a strike ahead of the expiration of a strike authorization granted by members over the summer. The union had previously attempted to strike at DP World’s facilities but was blocked by Canadian labor regulators who cited the union for singling out DP World in the contract dispute.
The employers represented by the BC Maritime Employers Association responded to the strike notice saying they intend to implement a full lockout calling it a “defensive measure.” The union highlights the strike notice is for a “limited action” consisting of an overtime ban and refusal to implement technology changes.
“Strike activity can easily escalate, including a complete withdrawal of labor without notice,” BCMEA wrote in its statement explaining the planned lockout. “To facilitate a safe and orderly wind-down of operations, the BCMEA has issued formal notice of its intention to defensively lock out all ILWU Local 514 members on Monday, November 4 at or around 09:00 am PT. Should it be required, this coastwide lockout will shut down all cargo operations of BCMEA Member companies across the province.”
Impacted would be Canada’s busiest port, Vancouver, and Prince Rupert, which is Canada’s third busiest port. Montreal is Canada’s second busiest port and struggling with its own labor problems. The West Coast action would stop containers and general cargo although it would not affect longshoring operations on grain vessels or cruise operations.
The Greater Vancouver Board of Trade responded to the latest development saying the strike endangers more than US$500 million in daily trade. In the summer of 2023, the same ports were hit with a 13-day strike which caused widespread disruption and was resolved through pressure from the federal government. The Board of Trade is again calling on the federal government to intervene to prevent the strike/lockout.
“We did not arrive to this decision lightly,” said BCMEA. They are citing the union’s “intransigence” saying it provoked the decision even after Canadian labor regulators last week said the union has been bargaining in bad faith.
A key part of the dispute centers around work rules, manning, and the use of automation. The local has repeatedly singled out DP World which it says has taken the most aggressive stance to implement technology. The union is demanding the new contract set a better work-life balance. The local which represents about 700 foremen has been without a contract since the prior one expired in March 2023.
The employers contended that they had met with the local this week making their final offer which included a better than 19 percent total wage increase with a signing bonus and retroactive pay which they said they would accelerate to delivery in mid-December. The union assets the local presented “proposals and positions that took bargaining backwards,” during this week’s meeting.
The federal government and Canadian labor regulators are faced with a bi-coastal problem as the longshore workers in Montreal also started a strike at two container terminals this week. Like their West Coast counterparts, they are focused on work rules and manning. A union lead said if those issues could be resolved the wage increase would be easy. Canada’s federal government has been reluctant to intervene in these labor disputes despite the potential for widespread economic disruption.