Update 3:
Port workers in BC have rescinded a 72-hour strike notice issued today after Prime Minister Justin Trudeau got involved.
Members of the International Longshore and Warehouse Union issued the notice of continued strike action this morning.
It came after their initial attempt to return to the picket line last night was deemed illegal by Labour Minister Seamus O’Regan.
His decision followed a ruling from the Canada Industrial Relations Board, which ruled the strike illegal dueto a failure to provide notice.
Union leadership had agreed to bring a settlement proposed by O’Regan before their members last week, following 13 days of labour action.
But they would later decide the proposed deal was too long, and failed to protect jobs or address cost-of-living concerns.
This afternoon, Trudeau convened the Incident Response Group for meetings in his office to discuss the situation.
Made up of cabinet members and other officials, the committee is only to be convened in the event of a national crisis.
Now, the Union has rescinded its notice, calling off plans to resume strike action Saturday.
Update 2:
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has stepped in to help bring an end to the lingering labour disputes at BC’s ports.
Yesterday, members of the International Longshore and Warehouse Union walked off the job for the second time this month.
But, Federal Labour Minister Seamus O’Regan declared the strike action illegal this morning, after the Union failed to provide notice.
That came following a ruling from the Canada Industrial Relations Board which called for strike activities to cease and desist.
While the ILWU says a strike, by definition, ends when an agreement is ratified, they have decided to respect the ruling.
In response, the Union filed a second strike notice this morning, with plans to hit the picket lines at 9:00 Saturday morning.
Their decision came after the ILWU leadership caucus decided to vote down a recommended settlement proposed by O’Regan last week.
Convened only in the event of a national crisis, the Group is a dedicated emergency committee made up of select cabinet members.
So far, government has been reluctant to pass back-to-work legislation, but Transport Minister Omar Alghabra says his patience has run out.
Update 1:
Port workers have issued a second 72 hour strike notice, after their attempt to resume labour action yesterday was ruled illegal.
Federal Labour Minister Seamus O’Regan declared the renewed strike attempt as such this morning, after they failed to issue a notice.
It followed a ruling from the Canada Industrial Relations Board which called for the Union to cease and desist strike activities.
Union members walked off the job yesterday, after ILWU leadership voted down a settlement proposed by O’Regan.
They had been on strike for 13 days prior to the proposal, which both them and the BC Maritime Employers Association agreed to bring to members.
But, after further review, the ILWU says the recommended settlement fails to protect union members’ jobs now or into the future.
They also say the agreement’s four year term is too long, and that it fails to address cost-of-living concerns.
According to the BCMEA, the proposal would net workers a combined 19.2 percent wage increase over the deal’s term.
Unions members are now set to return to the picket lines at 9:00 Saturday morning.
Minister O’Regan has been reluctant to take action on calls from industry and politicians to enact back-to-work legislation.
While he says that the strike cannot go on and that ports need to be operating, he has remained mum on the legislation.
Original Story:
Federal Labour Minister Seamus O’Regan has declared that the resumed port worker strike in BC is illegal.
According to the Board, an independent body intended to keep industrial peace, the action is due to the Union’s failure to issue a 72 hour notice.
Port workers resumed their strike yesterday after turning down a recommended settlement agreement put forward by O’Regan last week.
His actions followed 13 days of strike action as workers fight for fair wages and job protections from the BC Maritime Employers Association.
After initially agreeing to pitch the deal to its members, the ILWU leadership caucus voted down the settlement yesterday without doing so.
Minister O’Regan has been reluctant to take action on calls from industry and politicians to enact back-to-work legislation.
While he says that the strike cannot go on and that ports need to be operating, he has remained mum on the legislation.
