Federal Labour Minister Seamus O’Regan has appointed veteran mediator Vince Ready to head an industrial inquiry commission into disputes at British Columbia ports.
The commission, which will be chaired by Ready and include Vancouver lawyer Amanda Rogers, will examine the history of labour relations at West Coast ports and seek to find ways to ensure the stability of Canada’s international trade and avoid major disruptions such as the strike in B.C. last year.
About 7,400 members of the International Longshore & Warehouse Union Canada (ILWU) went on strike for two weeks in July, disrupting cargo shipments in the Vancouver region, Vancouver Island and the Prince Rupert area in Northern B.C.
“Our ports are vital to our supply chains, and the scale of the disruption was a burden on the many businesses and workers that depend on them,” according to a statement on Monday from Mr. O’Regan’s office.
The strike at the beginning of July at B.C. ports and a 24-hour walkout days later created upheaval in the supply chain, including trains and trucks. The Greater Vancouver Board of Trade estimated that work stoppages in July led to the disruption of nearly $10.7-billion worth of goods.
Mr. O’Regan asked two experts last year to identify key issues for the terms of reference for the inquiry under the Labour Code to review the conflict at B.C. ports and the history of previous shipping disputes across Canada. Anthony Giles, an adjunct professor of employment relations at Queen’s University, and Kevin Banks, an associate law professor at Queen’s, proposed the terms of reference for the review.
“The workers and businesses that depend on our West Coast ports deserve long-term solutions. They deserve solutions that respect the collective bargaining process,” Mr. O’Regan said in a news release on Monday. “They deserve stability and certainty in our supply chains.”
Nearly 75 per cent of ILWU members who cast their ballots in August voted in favour of accepting the terms of a tentative four-year deal reached with the B.C. Maritime Employers Association, which represents 49 private-sector companies such as shipowners and terminal operators.
The new inquiry will hold hearings with stakeholders and invite submissions from interested parties, as well as review findings from studies released by the federal government in 1995 and 2010 about labour relations at West Coast ports.
A final report is scheduled to be delivered to Mr. O’Regan by May, 2025, including recommendations for any potential changes to the Labour Code and how to implement them.
A different collective agreement expired on March 31, 2023, between the BCMEA and the ILWU’s Local 514 representing 730 dock forepersons. That labour dispute remains unsolved. The earliest time for a strike or lockout would be mid-May.
“Coming out of the ILWU Canada’s longshore strike this past summer, the BCMEA is very concerned about the reputational damage inflicted,” the BCMEA said in a statement last week, adding that a negotiated settlement remains possible through mediation.
