UPDATE AS OF SATURDAY JUL. 6 AT 5:30 P.M.: To prevent a strike between the two parties, BCMEA has requested intervention by the Canada Industrial Relations Board to declare proposals and strike action of ILWU Local 514 as contrary to Canada Labour Code.
According to a media release dated yesterday, if interim relief is granted, strike action will be prevented.
A strike notice was served by the International Longshore and Warehouse Union (ILWU) Local 514, with action taken as early as Monday.
According to a media release, ILWU Local 514 moved forward with the notice to address complaints between the BC Maritime Employers Association (BCMEA) during a hearing last week.
According to the BCMEA, the parties have been negotiating since Nov. 2022 on an industry-wide basis to foster stability and certainty on an approach that is aligned with a long-standing practice for the bargaining process between both BCMEA and ILWU.
They add, the union is creating uncertainty and chaos by isolating a single terminal operator, while many industry-wide issues remain unresolved in the shared collective bargaining process.
So far, the BCMEA says they have offered a 19.2 per cent wage increase, foreperson compensation from $246,323 to $293,617 annually, not including benefits or pensions.
They add this four-year proposal is in line with the negotiated 2023 longshore settlement and includes a lump sum payment of approximately $15,000 inclusive of a signing bonus and retroactive pay increases, and retirement benefits to $108,750 which is an increase of 16 per cent.
The release says despite the decision to strike, they’re (BCMEA) still working to resolve the dispute because of the critical importance Canada’s West Coast ports play in the nation’s supply chain.
