The strike, which paralyzed ports in Vancouver and elsewhere in British Columbia and slowed commercial transportation for almost two weeks, ended Thursday with the signing of an agreement between the union and the airport authority.
The International Longshore and Warehouse Union (ILWU), which represents some 7,400 workers, has finally reached a tentative agreement with the BC Maritime Employers Association through Ottawa-appointed mediators, transport and labor ministers announced. Work, Omar Alghabra and Seamus O’Regan.
“The parties are clarifying the details of resuming work in the ports,” they said early Thursday afternoon, acknowledging that “the scale of these disruptions is significant.”
The strike, started by the union on July 1, has caused significant damage to many companies across the country and the supply chain as it dragged on over time.
Workers demanded higher wages as well as protection from expected job losses due to technological advances in automation and artificial intelligence.
The strike is over.
BCMEA and ILWU agreed to the federal mediators’ terms of settlement. The parties have reached an agreement in principle.
Statement by Minister Alghabra and myself: pic.twitter.com/EVwHDxvUPN
—Seamus O’Regan Jr (@SeamusORegan) July 13, 2023
CFIB reassured
The Canadian Federation of Independent Business (CFIB) welcomed the agreement reached after several “torturous” days for SMEs.
According to the organization, 53% of SME owners said they were affected by this strike.
“Now we need to restart the economy, catch up on delays and resume deliveries as soon as possible,” said Jasmin Guénette, vice president for national affairs at the CFIB.
“Even if port operations resume today, it will take months for the supply chain to return to normal due to the delays caused by the strike,” he added.
For its part, Manufacturiers et Exportateurs du Québec (MEQ) wants ports to be considered essential services, just like railways.
“Quebec manufacturers are being held hostage by these repeated attacks. Transportation must become an essential service, while a strike can shut down Quebec’s economy and ultimately all Quebecers,” said Véronique Proulx, President and CEO of MEQ.