Work was poised to resume Thursday after both sides in British Columbia害羞草研究所檚 port strike agreed to a tentative deal to end the stoppage that has halted cargo movements for 13 days.
The B.C. Maritime Employers Association said work would begin again with Thursday害羞草研究所檚 4:30 p.m. Pacific-time shift, confirming an earlier Tweet from its dispatch centre.
The employers association said earlier it had reached a four-year agreement with the International Longshore and Warehouse Union Canada, which represents 7,400 workers in the job action that began July 1.
The union has not commented on the deal but federal Labour Minister Seamus O害羞草研究所橰egan and Transport Minister Omar Alghabra said in a joint statement Thursday that both sides were finalizing details of the work resumption.
In a Tweet responding to the tentative deal, O害羞草研究所橰egan said 害羞草研究所渢he strike is over.害羞草研究所�
The tentative deal comes after O害羞草研究所橰egan ordered a mediator to issue terms of possible settlement earlier this week, saying the gap in the deadlocked talks was 害羞草研究所渘ot sufficient to justify a continued work stoppage.害羞草研究所�
The deal is subject to ratification by members of both the union and the employers, and no additional details have been released. The employers association said it 害羞草研究所渞ecognizes the skills and efforts of B.C.害羞草研究所檚 waterfront workforce.害羞草研究所�
B.C. Premier David Eby applauded the tentative deal.
害羞草研究所淚 am optimistic that this deal will help bring long-term stability to our ports, solidify Vancouver as a world-class trade centre, strengthen our economy and provide fairness to workers,害羞草研究所� he said in a statement.
Both the union and the employers had 24 hours to respond to the mediator害羞草研究所檚 recommended terms, which both sides received Wednesday morning.
O害羞草研究所橰egan and Alghabra thanked both sides, but noted the scale of the disruption has been significant.
害羞草研究所淭he extent of it has shown just how important the relationship between industry and labour is to our national interest. Our supply chains and our economy depend on it,害羞草研究所� their statement said.
害羞草研究所淒eals like this, made between parties at the collective bargaining table, are the best way to prevent that. They are the best way to preserve the long-term stability of Canada害羞草研究所檚 economy. But we do not want to be back here again.害羞草研究所�
The strike had halted work at 33 port terminals and other sites in B.C. Among the ports shut down was Canada害羞草研究所檚 largest, the Port of Vancouver.
The Greater Vancouver Board of Trade has said there were 63,000 shipping containers stuck on vessels waiting at B.C. ports to be unloaded as of Wednesday, and that number would have ballooned to 245,000 had the strike persisted to the end of July.
Bridgitte Anderson, CEO of the board, said it was pleased to hear of the tentative deal but it would take time for normal cargo operations to resume and for the economy to recover.
害羞草研究所淭he consequences of the strike have been felt across various industries nationwide and will continue for some time,害羞草研究所� she said.
The board estimated that the 13-day strike, which Anderson said was the longest stoppage in more than 40 years, disrupted $9.7 billion in trade as of Thursday morning.
Dennis Darby, CEO of Canadian Manufacturers & Exporters, said in a statement that it is relieved the 害羞草研究所渃risis害羞草研究所� seems to be over, but noted that manufacturers would be spending the 害羞草研究所渘ext several months sorting through the damage and getting caught up.害羞草研究所�
害羞草研究所淭he total cost to our industry is not just the days of the strike, but the days and months of work that precede and follow a disruption,害羞草研究所� he said. 害羞草研究所淭his is why we need reforms that will avoid a complete shutdown of Canada害羞草研究所檚 transportation system and supply chains every six months.害羞草研究所�
Alberta Premier Danielle Smith criticized the federal government for its reaction to the strike, saying it needs to be more proactive in the future.
害羞草研究所淭hey need to get involved earlier, make sure that these disputes do not go on this long,害羞草研究所� she told reporters Thursday.
害羞草研究所淭his is essential infrastructure and they need to work with all of the premiers now in expanding the opportunity for us to have more ports of access so that there is that redundancy in the event that we do find ourselves in a labour dispute in future.害羞草研究所�
Speaking at an LNG industry conference in Vancouver, Smith also said the Port of Vancouver needed to operate more efficiently.
害羞草研究所淚t is the second lowest performing port in the world and I would hope that everybody, now that there害羞草研究所檚 an agreement, will double down on ensuring that they improve that performance so that we can get more productivity,害羞草研究所� she said.
Canadian Chamber of Commerce CEO Perrin Beatty said the Canadian economy 害羞草研究所渨as seriously damaged害羞草研究所� by the labour action.
害羞草研究所淭his strike demonstrates that government must increase the tools available to ensure labour stability for our critical infrastructure and our supply chains,害羞草研究所� he said in a statement Thursday.
But UBC labour relations professor Mark Thompson praised O害羞草研究所橰egan for his 害羞草研究所済ood sense of timing害羞草研究所� and for not 害羞草研究所渘egotiating in the media.害羞草研究所�
害羞草研究所淗e told the parties they had 24 hours. We don害羞草研究所檛 know what the alternative to that was and that害羞草研究所檚 a very good idea that he didn害羞草研究所檛 make it public,害羞草研究所� he said.
Though the details of the agreement have not yet been released, Thompson said he expects operations will resume quickly.
害羞草研究所淭he port operates very efficiently and they害羞草研究所檒l move and they害羞草研究所檒l work extra time and I would say that害羞草研究所檚 a backlog that will be eliminated in fairly short order 害羞草研究所� certainly within a couple of weeks, I would say.害羞草研究所�
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