Toronto, July 13, 2023
The strike at British Columbia’s ports is ending after both sides accepted the terms of a proposed deal recommended by a federal mediator. The B.C. Maritime Employers Association and the union representing thousands of dock workers were given 24 hours to consider the agreement, which was delivered Wednesday morning. On Thursday, the two sides agreed, signaling an end to the job action that began on July 1st.
About 7,400 members of the International Longshore and Warehouse Union Canada in Vancouver were involved in the work stoppage, which halted shipments in and out of about 30 ports in B.C., including Canada’s largest, the Port of Vancouver. As of July 13th, The Greater Vancouver Board of Trade says that there are roughly 63,000 shipping containers stuck on vessels waiting at B.C. ports to be unloaded. While this resolution is good news, clearing the backlog of containers on hand at port terminals and sitting on vessels awaiting offloading is expected to take weeks.
For more information, please call David Lychek, Director – Ocean & Air Services at (905) 882-4880, ext. 1207.
