Industry groups call for federal action as B.C. port strike enters 4th day

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 and Exporters (CME) 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.

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

Representatives for the B.C. Maritime Employers Association and the International Longshore and Warehouse Union (ILWU) 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."

On Tuesday evening, ILWU Canada President Rob Ashton said the union was disappointed that the BCMEA had walked away from talks, and that it was "deaf" to the real and legitimate concerns the union had over the contracting out of maintenance work.

"We call on the BCMEA to get back to the table and do the hard work necessary to reach an agreement," he said in a statement. "If the association will not negotiate, we call on the member employers to negotiate directly with the union.

"A negotiated settlement is possible, and we are capable of getting the job done."

Far-reaching economic implications

Federal Labour Minister Seamus O'Regan said in a Tweet that federal mediators "continue to support" both sides in the negotiations.

"We encourage both parties to immediately return to the bargaining table and remain there until a deal is reached," he said.

"Collective bargaining is hard work but it's how the best, most resilient deals are made."

News of a strike at the ports, including Canada's largest, the Port of Vancouver, has raised alarm among business leaders, who suggest it could have far-reaching implications for Canada's economy.

"A strike of this magnitude not only disrupts the Canadian economy but damages our global trading reputation, hurts already fragile supply chains, and puts jobs at risk," the CME said in a statement Tuesday.

"Given that the federal government understands what is at stake, [Canadian Manufacturers and Exporters] urges them to intervene now to reassure manufacturers that they will not bear the brunt of a labour dispute that is beyond their control," it said.

The group, which says its members account for about 82 per cent of total manufacturing production and 90 per cent of Canada's exports, estimates that $500 million worth of goods is being disrupted every day.

'Workers are integral'

But John-Henry Harter, a lecturer in the labour studies program at Simon Fraser University, pointed out that withdrawing labour by striking is the only real tool workers have to force concessions from employers on things like cost of living and protections from increased automation.

"Business leaders don't really want to acknowledge this, that the whole point is to interfere," Harter told CBC's On the Coast.

"They're showing [that] workers are integral."

Mark Thompson, a professor emeritus of industrial relations at the University of B.C., added that if the government stepped in after just a few days of labour action, it would send the wrong message.

"The Trudeau government has been firm in dealing with labour disputes and saying they should be settled at the bargaining table, not in Parliament," he told CBC News.

"If the business community is really upset, maybe they should be telling the employer to make a deal."

UPDATE — July 6, 11 a.m. PT: This story contained a quote from business owner Aaron Sandhar when originally published. Mr. Sandhar was not commenting on the potential for government intervention. His quotes have been removed.