The provincewide lockout against a union of more than 700 foremen at all British Columbia ports began on Monday after no deal was reached between the two sides.
A statement from the B.C. Maritime Employer Association said “ILWU Local 514’s strike action has already begun to impact to B.C.’s waterfront operations and strike activity can easily escalate, including a complete withdrawal of labour without notice.
“Accordingly, to facilitate a safe and orderly wind-down of operations, the BCMEA has made the difficult decision to lockout forepersons and other Local 514 members on Nov. 4, 2024, commencing on the 16:30 shift and continuing until further notice.”
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It said the lockout will not apply to grain or cruise operations.
ILWU Local 514, which represents foremen at B.C.’s ports, issued 72-hour strike notice on Friday to carry out what it called “limited job action”, including an overtime ban.
The B.C. Maritime Employer Association responded by issuing an industry-wide lockout.
The employer said its final offer includes a 19-per cent wage increase over four years, along with a signing bonus.
The union claims the employer is “acting recklessly” and trying to get Ottawa to intervene.
The Greater Vancouver Board of Trade estimates that another shutdown at B.C. ports could put $800 million of trade at risk each day.
More to come…
