Union issues strike notice in B.C. port labour dispute, employers say

By Chuck Chiang, The Canadian Press on October 31, 2024.

VANCOUVER – Employers at British Columbia’s ports say they have received 72-hour strike notice from the union representing about 700 foremen in an ongoing labour dispute.

The two sides had been negotiating with the help of a federal mediator for the last three days in a bid to avoid a work stoppage that would affect all ports in B.C.

The BC Maritime Employers Association says if the union takes strike action it would begin at 8 a.m. on Monday, Nov. 4.

The association says it presented a “final offer” to the International Longshore and Warehouse Union Local 514 that it believed would “conclude negotiations in a manner that serves the best interest” of all parties involved.

The union has not responded to the employer’s statement on the latest offer or the strike notice.

Negotiations began last year after the last contract expired in March 2023, and the union has said that it has a mandate from members to strike that expires on Saturday.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Oct. 31, 2024.

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