Feds step in to end B.C. port dispute, order binding arbitration

With cargo shipping paralysed at B.C.’s ports, Federal Labour Minister Steven MacKinnon says he is intervening to end the work stoppages at ports in both British Columbia and Montreal.

He says the negotiations have reached an impasse and he is directing the Canada Industrial Relations Board to order the resumption of all operations at the ports and move the talks to binding arbitration.

He says the work stoppages at the ports of British Columbia and the Port of Montreal are significantly impacting supply chains, thousands of jobs, and Canada’s reputation as a reliable trading partner.

Business groups had been calling for government intervention to get the flow of goods moving again.

The Greater Vancouver Board of Trade (GVBoT) estimates the work stoppage at B.C. ports is disrupting $800 million worth of trade per day as the BC Maritime Employers Association and the International Longshore and Warehouse Union Local 514, representing hundreds of supervisors, refuse to budge.

Mediated talks broke down on Saturday, hours after they started with no new bargaining scheduled, stranding most goods in B.C. ports.

Federal Labour Minister Steve MacKinnon earlier released a statement saying both sides “must understand the urgency of the situation” with the lockout now in its second week, and must “do the work necessary to reach an agreement.”

B.C. business leaders are equally as urgent in their calls to get talks going and goods flowing.

The heads of the province’s major boards of trade, chambers of commerce and mining and forestry associations plan to update the economic impact of the port dispute and make what they’re calling an important announcement at 10:30 a.m. Tuesday.

The BCMEA locked out 730 longshore supervisors on Nov. 4, hours before ILWU strike action was set to begin.

This labour disruption comes after more than a year of negotiations, with no union contract in place since March 2023.

Last year, a 13-day strike at B.C. ports caused an estimated $10 billion in trade disruption.

As of Tuesday morning, the GVBoT says it estimates $6.1 billion of trade was disrupted in the latest action. The board is calling for a unified “Team Canada” approach to future dynamics.

“We need stability in our supply chains to drive economic growth and create well-paying jobs. We urge the federal government and the Industrial Inquiry Commission to examine the underlying structural issues behind these disruptions, evaluate the far-reaching economic harm that disruptions cause, and identify innovative tools to provide lasting certainty for our supply chains and the public interest,” the GVBoT said in a statement Tuesday.

The Vancouver Fraser Port Authority tells 1130 NewsRadio it’s too early to predict how long it will take to fully recover from the disruption.

“Our focus is on working with all partners in the port community including shipping and rail companies, labour, and marine terminals to restore full port operations and fluidity as soon as possible.”

—With files from Charles Brockman