There is still minimal congestion to report at the ports of Vancouver and Prince Rupert where unionised dockworkers are preparing for a fourth day of strikes with little sign of negotiations with employers making any progress.
Canada’s branch of the International Longshore and Warehouse Union (ILWU) started the strike at the two west coast ports on Saturday. The ILWU’s contract with the British Columbia Maritime Employers Association (BCMEA) ran out at the end of March with the union keen not to have a situation similar to the US west coast where contract negotiations carried on for more than a year after a previous labour agreement expired in the first half of 2022.
At anchor in Vancouver today are three boxships and 15 bulk carriers, while there are no boxships waiting to berth at Prince Rupert.
The union and employers look to be a long way from coming to a deal. The BCMEA, in a statement yesterday, claimed it had gone as far as possible on core issues, saying it does not believe more bargaining is going to produce a collective agreement, with many shippers now calling for the federal government to get involved.
For its part, the ILWU blamed the BCMEA for sabotaging progress. Union president Rob Ashton said ILWU Canada is focused on stopping “the erosion of jurisdiction” and the extensive use of contractors.
A quarter of Canada’s total traded goods flow through Vancouver and Prince Rupert, representing more than $604m worth of cargo each day.
