Striking International Longshore and Warehouse Union Canada workers picket at a port entrance in Vancouver, B.C., Tuesday, July 4, 2023. British Columbia's ports are facing an uncertain future after the longshore workers union rejected a tentative mediated deal and resumed strike action that had been put to a temporary halt only last week. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Darryl Dyck
VANCOUVER – The union representing longshore workers in British Columbia says it has rescinded 72-hour strike notice that had sparked concerns the province’s ports could be shut down again by Saturday.
In a brief note to its member locals, the International Longshore and Warehouse Union Canada says that effective immediately the strike notice dated for July 22 at 9 a.m. has been removed.
The BC Maritime Employers Association says it’s been made aware of the latest notice and was seeking clarification of what that means for possible strike action.
With the 72-hour notice removed, the union can’t resume strike action on Saturday unless it files another notice, according to the Canada Labour Code as described in a Canada Industrial Relations Board decision issued against the union this morning.
The board ruled that pickets set up Tuesday were illegal after the union leadership rejected a mediated agreement.
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has convened the incident response group of ministers and senior government officials over the labour dispute, directing them to pursue all available options to ensure the stability of supply chains.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published July 19, 2023.
