Canadian Port Operations Resume, ILWU and BCMEA Reach Agreement

May 31: According to local sources, the International Longshore and Warehouse Union Canada (ILWU Canada) reached an agreement with B.C. Maritime Employers Association (BCMEA), preventing a shutdown at the majority of the major port facilities, located at the Canadian west coast.

Specifically, as the agreement was reached, Port of Vancouver and Prince Rupert port will resumed normal port operations on May 30, 2019.

Concerning the lockout, on May 28, BCMEA, the organization that negotiated labour contracts with Canadian longshoremen working at British Columbia ports announced that those employees, who are covered by the expired agreement between the two organisations, would be locked out. As the negotiations didn’t have any result, the lockout begun.

Hours and negotiations later, the International Longshore and Warehouse Union (ILWU) announced that both parties reached an agreement and the lockout ended.

The BCMEA noted that disruption at B.C.’s ports could have cost the Canadian economy about $5 billion a day. The Chamber of Shipping of B.C., which represents the ships that move cargo in and out of Canada, said recovery after a lockout ends would also be costly.

The Chamber of Shipping of B.C., Robert Lewis-Manning, told CBC Canada, “We estimate it takes a month to recover from every week lost due to labour disruptions, so it’s huge on the entire Canadian economy.”

There were no details provided on the deal until after the completion of the process.

Source: Safety4Sea