B.C. port workers will get eyes on contract offer from maritime employers

Thousands of workers at British Columbia’s ports are taking off the day shift Tuesday to learn the details of an agreement struck between their union and employers.

The BC Maritime Employers Association (BCMEA) says the offer being presented is the same one leaders of the International Longshore and Warehouse Union (ILWU) had previously rejected, which briefly sent workers back to the picket line last week.

A 13-day strike that started on Canada Day stopped billions of dollars’ worth of goods from moving in and out of some of the country’s busiest ports.

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Strike action was suspended when the contract was reached with the help of a mediator but was then reinstated when the union leadership turned down the plan.

A labour board ruled the second strike action by the port workers was illegal, prompting the union to issue 72-hour strike notice, which it then reversed hours later.

On Thursday night, the ILWU announced that its bargaining committee had reached a tentative deal with the BCMEA, adding meeting would be held the day after to vote on whether the agreement would be sent to members for ratification.

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That confirmation came Friday, with the union saying it would hold a meeting Tuesday to recommend the terms of the tentative deal to its membership.

Confirming the recommendation, Federal Labour Minister Seamus O’Regan thanked the union for sending the terms to a vote.

“Right now, BC ports are operating, but we need long-term stability,” he said on social media on July 21.

Union members are now expected to vote on the offer later this week, but there’s no word yet on when the results could be made public.