Port of Vancouver Braces for Strike Set for Nov. 4
[Stay on top of transportation news: Get TTNews in your inbox.]
Dock foremen and women in British Columbia issued a strike notice for Nov. 4, setting up a complete shutdown of Canada’s busiest port, a business group said.
The International Longshore and Warehouse Union Ship & Dock Foremen Local 514 provided 72-hour advanced notice on Oct. 31, according to an emailed statement from the BC Maritime Employers Association.
The written notice sets up a complete shutdown of BCMEA company operations at Canada’s West Coast ports starting on Nov. 4 at 8 a.m. Pacific time. The walkout would include Canada’s busiest port — Vancouver.
“We are extremely concerned that this strike could cascade quickly to shutting down the entire west coast port system,” said David van Hemmen, vice president of the Greater Vancouver Board of Trade, adding the strike endangers C$800 million ($574 million) per day in trade.
“We are calling for immediate action by the federal government to intervene,” van Hemmen said in a statement.
The forepersons voted to authorize the strike in September. A representative for ILWU Local 514, which represents 730 foremen and women, didn’t immediately respond to requests for comment.
Want more news? Listen to today's daily briefing above or go here for more info
A 13-day strike by more than 7,000 longshore workers caused large-scale disruption at Canada’s west coast ports last year, and the North American transportation and logistics sectors have continued to be hit by labor disputes this year.
A three-day strike shut every major port on the U.S. East and Gulf coasts in early October, and dockworkers at the port of Montreal have also walked out in recent days.
Canada’s two biggest railways were also shut temporarily over the summer after bargaining between union leaders and their employers broke down.
