B.C. port strike averted; 72-hour strike notice removed

Citynews halifax \ By Emily Marsten

Port workers in B.C. will not be going on strike again on Saturday, as a 72-hour strike notice has now been removed.

In a statement Wednesday afternoon, the president of the International Longshore and Warehouse Union Canada (ILWU) announced the decision.

“Effective immediately, the strike notice dated July 22 for 9 a.m. has now been removed,” Rob Ashton wrote in a statement.

Although Ashton didn’t provide any further details, the BC Maritime Employers Association (BCMEA) has confirmed that the notice was removed.

“The past 24 hours have demonstrated that this continues to be a fluid and unpredictable situation. We will communicate as appropriate with key stakeholders as we receive clarification,” a statement from the employer reads.

Related video: How the B.C. port strike could cripple Canada’s economy 

This comes after Federal Labour Minister Seamus O’Regan said the resumption of a strike at B.C.’s ports was “illegal,” following an announcement on Tuesday that a tentative deal had been rejected.

O’Regan said in a tweet Wednesday morning that the Canada Industrial Relations Board (CIRB) ruled that the International Longshore and Warehouse Union Canada “cease and desist” from taking part in strike action “because the union did not provide 72 hours notice.”

Following this, a 72-hour strike notice was issued and set to go into effect on Saturday.

Trudeau convenes Incident Response Group

Meanwhile, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has convened the Incident Response Group of ministers and senior government officials over the labour dispute, directing them to pursue all available options to ensure the stability of supply chains.

“The Group discussed the impact of the situation, which is creating severe disruptions to Canada’s largest export and import gateway to the world. Previous strike action earlier this month already froze billions of dollars’ worth of cargo from moving in and out of harbours, causing serious harm to our economy, Canada’s reputation as a trading partner, and Canadian jobs,” a news release reads.

It adds that Trudeau “stressed the critical importance of resuming operations in our ports as soon as possible.”

“Workers and employers across Canada – and all Canadians – cannot face further disruption.” 

The release says Trudeau asked ministers and senior officials for their advice toward achieving this goal and that he “directed them to pursue all available options to ensure the stability of our supply chains and to protect Canadian jobs and our economy.”

According to the Canadian Labour Code, the union cannot resume strike action unless it files another notice.

With files from Hana Mae Nassar and The Canadian Press