Canada taps mediator to craft deal to end strike at ports
Seamus O'Regan: The difference between the employer and union's positions is not sufficient to justify a continued work stoppage.
Canadian Labor Minister Seamus O’Regan said negotiators have made progress toward a deal to end a strike by dockworkers at some of Canada’s busiest ports and he’s asked a mediator to get a final agreement done.
The strike, which began July 1, has blocked the flow of goods through major maritime hubs on the Pacific coast, including at the Port of Vancouver and Port of Prince Rupert. The disruption has already hampered the exports of commodities and inbound shipments of manufacturing materials, while fertilizer giant Nutrien is curtailing production at a potash mine.
“After 11 days of a work stoppage, I have decided that the difference between the employer’s and the union’s positions is not sufficient to justify a continued work stoppage,” O’Regan said in a Twitter post. A deal is within reach and he has asked the senior federal mediator to send a written proposal of settlement terms within 24 hours, he said.
Once the minister receives the terms of settlement, he’ll forward them to the International Longshore & Warehouse Union and the British Columbia Maritime Employers Association, which will then have 24 hours to decide whether to recommend that deal to their members.
Canadian Manufacturers & Exporters, a lobby group, has estimated the strike is disrupting C$500-million ($379-million) of trade per day, but the effects of extended port shutdown would ripple worldwide. Canada is the world’s largest producer of potash, and British Columbia is entering a key season for food exports.
A survey by the Canadian Federation of Independent Business published on Tuesday found that about half of business owners said the strike would affect their operations. Vancouver is also a major conduit for imports of consumer goods from Asia.
Comments
Research Reports
Latest Multimedia
Latest News
Showroom
From batteries for boats and jet skis, to batteries for cars and quad bikes, SABAT Batteries has positioned itself as the lifestyle battery of...
VISIT SHOWROOM
Avlock International is a leading manufacturer and distributor of Specialized Fastening Systems.
VISIT SHOWROOM
Press Office
Announcements
What's On
Subscribe to improve your user experience...
Option 1 (equivalent of R125 a month):
Receive a weekly copy of Creamer Media's Engineering News & Mining Weekly magazine
(print copy for those in South Africa and e-magazine for those outside of South Africa)
Receive daily email newsletters
Access to full search results
Access archive of magazine back copies
Access to Projects in Progress
Access to ONE Research Report of your choice in PDF format
Option 2 (equivalent of R375 a month):
All benefits from Option 1
PLUS
Access to Creamer Media's Research Channel Africa for ALL Research Reports, in PDF format, on various industrial and mining sectors
including Electricity; Water; Energy Transition; Hydrogen; Roads, Rail and Ports; Coal; Gold; Platinum; Battery Metals; etc.
Already a subscriber?
Forgotten your password?
Receive weekly copy of Creamer Media's Engineering News & Mining Weekly magazine (print copy for those in South Africa and e-magazine for those outside of South Africa)
➕
Recieve daily email newsletters
➕
Access to full search results
➕
Access archive of magazine back copies
➕
Access to Projects in Progress
➕
Access to ONE Research Report of your choice in PDF format
RESEARCH CHANNEL AFRICA
R4500 (equivalent of R375 a month)
SUBSCRIBEAll benefits from Option 1
➕
Access to Creamer Media's Research Channel Africa for ALL Research Reports on various industrial and mining sectors, in PDF format, including on:
Electricity
➕
Water
➕
Energy Transition
➕
Hydrogen
➕
Roads, Rail and Ports
➕
Coal
➕
Gold
➕
Platinum
➕
Battery Metals
➕
etc.
Receive all benefits from Option 1 or Option 2 delivered to numerous people at your company
➕
Multiple User names and Passwords for simultaneous log-ins
➕
Intranet integration access to all in your organisation
