The International Longshore and Warehouse Union (ILWU) announced Friday, August 4th, that 74.66% of its membership voted in agreement for the new four-year contract. The deal ensures marine terminals in the upcoming weeks can clear a backlog created by the strike. The agreement was reached with the assistance of the Canada Industrial Relations Board.
According to the British Columbia Maritime Employee Association (BCMEA), “The renewed collective agreement includes increases in wages, benefits and training that recognizes the skills and efforts of B.C.’s waterfront workforce, while providing certainty and stability for the future of Canada’s West Coast ports.” The agreement caps five weeks of disruption marked by 13 days of strikes, a one-day wildcat strike, and the union’s rejection of three tentative agreements struck by negotiators. Canada’s ministers of labor, Seamus O’Regan and Juan Pablo Rodriguez, released a statement on Friday stating “This dispute caused serious disruptions to our supply chains, risking our strong international reputation as a reliable trading partner. We do not want to be back here again.”
With a contract tentatively reached in Western Canada and the port of Halifax, Montreal remains the last major container port facing new negotiations to reach a new deal, as a federally arbitrated contract expires at the end of the year. The federal government forced both sides to accept a contract after a 19-day series of strikes, in May 2021.