Union, B.C. port employers ordered back to bargaining table as work stoppage drags on

B.C.'s port employers and the union representing more than 700 foreman who have been locked out since Monday have agreed to meet with federal mediators this weekend. 

The two had been refusing to return to the negotiating table all week, but on Thursday evening the International Longshore and Warehouse Union Local 514 and B.C. Maritime Employers Association both announced they will be resuming talks on Saturday. 

Earlier in the day, Federal Labour Minister Steven MacKinnon criticized the lack of progress in the B.C. port dispute, as well as a work stoppage in Montreal, saying there had been a "concerning lack of urgency" in resolving the issues.

MacKinnon's office did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

In a statement on social media platform X Thursday morning, MacKinnon had said he was "closely monitoring" both negotiations, which he described as "progressing at an insufficient pace" between the parties involved.

"Public services, such as ports, exist to serve the needs of Canadians," MacKinnon's statement said. "It is with this in mind that the federal government supports these negotiations. The parties must reach an agreement quickly."

British Columbia's port lockout involves a dispute between employers and foremen that spilled into its fourth day on Thursday, while Port of Montreal dockworkers have been on strike at two container terminals since Oct. 31.

Canadian retailers expressed their frustrations through their industry association, saying the sector was increasingly concerned with the lack of movement in the disruptions at Canada's two largest ports, Vancouver and Montreal.

Retailers worried

Matt Poirier, vice-president of federal government relations with the Retail Council of Canada, said Thursday there "doesn't seem to be any urgency" in resolving the disputes in B.C. and Quebec and it may result in empty shelves as the holiday season approaches.

"Manufacturing, agriculture and retailers like our sector that rely on these services don't have a say in the matter," Poirier said. "We're not seated at the table, yet we're the ones that are bearing all the costs and the punishment of these delays. 

Poirier described the situation as a "triple threat" of labour disruptions, referencing the port stoppages and uncertainty at Canada Post.

Poirier said retailers could face a "staggering" effect in the holiday season "where every delivery counts," with four days of port disruptions potentially equating to about a month in delays due to ripples in the supply chain.

He said they're amenable to however the sides want to reach an agreement to get the ports open and moving again. "We just want it to happen, and it frankly should have happened a lot sooner than it has."

'Playing hardball'

Speaking prior to the B.C. Maritime Employers Association and ILWU Local 514 agreeing to weekend mediation, labour expert Mark Thompson, who is a retired University of British Columbia professor, described the situation as unusual. 

"It's a little hard to know what's going on," Thompson said, adding that it appeared the employers are "playing hardball" by making what they call a final offer to the union.

"They've said that the offer that they've put on the table is their last offer," Thompson said. "Maybe they mean that. I've always wondered if it's the last offer and it's not accepted, what happens next? They may be hoping that the government will intervene in some way, but that's very hard to do." 

The right to strike in a labour conflict is protected in the Canadian Constitution, Thompson noted, making federal intervention difficult.

"I think we're in a kind of dance out there," Thompson said. "Somebody's waiting for the other side to say chicken, and it hasn't happened yet."

The International Longshore and Warehouse Union Local 514 has said pickets remain at terminal sites across B.C.

On Thursday, its president Frank Morena said they have also filed a complaint with the Canada Industrial Relations Board, accusing the employers association of favouring confrontation rather than negotiation as an end to the dispute.

"Once again, the BCMEA is doing everything it can to push the federal government into intervening instead of doing its job to bargain a new contract — it's offensive and we expect our complaints to be upheld," Morena said. 

The employers association said in its own statement that it will be denying any wrongdoing and calling the complaint "meritless."

"The BCMEA remains committed to negotiating a fair and equitable agreement that recognizes the efforts and skills of the waterfront workforce and restores supply chain operations as quickly as possible," the statement said.

Supply chain instability

The dispute over issues such as port automation and its effect on unionized workers has been simmering since last year when the previous agreement between employers and the union expired in March 2023.

It comes on the heels of a separate dispute last year between employers and cargo workers that resulted in a strike that froze B.C. ports for 13 days.

The Port of Vancouver — the largest in Canada — also experienced a disruption involving railways in August and another with grain terminal workers in September.

Vancouver Fraser Port Authority president and CEO Peter Xotta said Thursday that the port was trying to "balance" the implementation of technology with labour demands, saying some automation was needed at ports for Canada to remain competitive globally.

"It's a challenging conversation," Xotta said at an event hosted by the Greater Vancouver Board of Trade. "It's one that needs to happen because those investments are actually about preserving our position in the global supply chain, which ultimately is beneficial to those that are employed on the terminal."

Xotta also said more stability was needed in the Canadian supply chain, and stakeholders needed to focus on minimizing disruptions.

"This pattern is one that really is not helpful to us, given that we're a country that depends, for its livelihood and its standard of living, on international trade," Xotta said.

"I think that there's a need for a more stable environment for those investments that are necessary to happen." 

The Port of Montreal strike involves up to 320 workers and has paralyzed 40 per cent of the port's total container-handling capacity.

Officials with the union, which is connected to the Canadian Union of Public Employees, have said they are willing to call off the strike if a deal is reached on a portion of the dispute centred around scheduling.