Federal Labour Minister Seamus O'Regan is intervening in the British Columbia port strike that has been ongoing for nearly two weeks.
The minister has given a federal mediator 24 hours to send him terms to end the work stoppage at 30 British Columbia ports that has stranded billions of dollars worth of goods off Canada’s west coast.
O'Regan said in a written statement that the gap between the employers and port workers is “not sufficient to justify a continued work stoppage,” suggesting a legislated end to the strike that is now in its 12th day.
More than 7,000 members of the International Longshore and Warehouse Union Canada went on strike July 1, demanding better pay and an end to the contracting out of work.
The strike has halted all cargo processing at B.C. ports, including the Port of Vancouver, which is Canada’s busiest shipping terminal.
O’Regan said that once he has received the terms from the mediator, he will forward them to the union and the B.C. Maritime Employers Association that represents the interests of the provincial ports.
The two sides will then have 24 hours to decide whether to ratify the principles of a deal. Management and the union resumed talks this week under the supervision of a mediator.
Several business groups have called for an immediate end to the port strike, saying it is causing damage to Canada’s supply chains and will negatively impact the economy.
A recent survey from the Canadian Federation of Independent Business found that 53% of business owners believe the B.C. port strike will hurt their operations.
The government of Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has been criticized by business leaders and opposition politicians for not recalling Parliament from its current summer break to vote on back-to-work legislation to end the port strike.
