B.C. port foremen's union and employers ratify 4-year deal
Dispute saw foremen locked out last year, binding arbitration imposed by federal government
Maritime employers in British Columbia and the union representing port foremen say they have ratified a new four-year collective agreement, after a dispute that saw workers locked out of container terminals last year.
The British Columbia Maritime Employers Association and the International Longshore and Warehouse Union Ship and Dock Foremen Local 514 said in a joint statement that the new collective agreement extends from April 1, 2023, to March 31, 2027.
"We look forward to working together to implement the terms of the agreement," the two sides said in the statement.
It is the second major labour deal for Canada's West Coast ports that will be in place until March 2027, after an earlier agreement with thousands of port workers that was signed in August 2023 following a strike.
The details of the new deal with supervisors have not been released, and neither the employers association nor the union representing roughly 700 supervisors immediately responded to requests for comment.
They had been without a deal since the last accord expired in March 2023.
The union had said port automation was a major concern, with supervisors wanting assurances on staffing levels regardless of the technology being used at B.C. ports.
The negotiations were contentious at times, with Local 514 filing a complaint against the employers with the Canada Industrial Relations Board alleging direct contact with members during talks.
The employers association had called the complaint meritless, noting its offer to the union at the time included a 19.2 per cent wage increase over the four-year term of the deal.
The dispute took its most drastic turn on Nov. 4, when employers locked out members of Local 514 in what they called a defensive action.
The union had voted to authorize strike action but said at the time that members were only planning partial job actions such as an overtime ban when they were locked out.
Container cargo traffic at terminals on the West Coast were halted in the dispute, eventually prompting the federal government to step in on Nov. 12.
That was when the federal labour minister at the time, Steven MacKinnon, directed the Canada Industrial Relations Board to order the resumption of all operations and move talks to binding arbitration.