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British Columbia port strike enters day four as talks stall

Jul 4, 2023 | 2:57 PM

VANCOUVER — The strike at British Columbia ports enters its fourth day after talks between the two sides stalled on Monday.

More than 7,000 workers who load and unload cargo at more than 30 B.C. ports have been on strike since Saturday morning.

Representatives for the BC Maritime Employers Association and the International Longshore and Warehouse Union Canada negotiated over the long weekend before the association issued a statement Monday saying it didn’t think more bargaining is going to produce a deal.

It said the union’s demands were “outside any reasonable framework for settlement.”

The union, meanwhile, has accused the association of changing its position on a key issue at the last minute to “muddy the waters.”

News of a strike at the ports, including Canada’s largest, the Port of Vancouver, led many business groups to raise red flags, suggesting it would have far-reaching implications for Canada’s economy.

Groups representing Canadian businesses want the federal government to intervene in the ongoing labour strike at British Columbia ports, with one organization calling for legal changes that would discourage future disruptions.

Canadian Manufacturers & Exporters says designating ports and rail lines as essential infrastructure and limiting when and where labour and other disruptions can occur would provide manufacturers the stability they need.

The Greater Vancouver Board of Trade is meanwhile asking Ottawa to “use every tool at its disposal” to ensure a deal is struck to resume activity at city’s port, including back-to-work legislation, if necessary.

The association said Tuesday that negotiations were “paused, pending further discussion with the federal mediators.”

This report by The Canadian Press was first published July 4, 2023.

The Canadian Press