Labor tensions at Canada’s West Coast ports have eased following a new agreement between port employer, the British Columbia Maritime Employers Association (BCMEA), and ILWU Local 514, the union representing longshore foremen.

The deal covers about 700 longshore foremen working at the ports of Vancouver and Prince Rupert. It retroactively starts from April 2023 and runs through March 2027, ensuring labor stability at Canada’s busiest trade gateway for at least the next two years.

Details of the new four-year agreement have not been released, but both sides confirmed its ratification and signaled a willingness to move forward. “We look forward to working together to implement the terms of the agreement,” BCMEA said in a brief statement.

The agreement follows a turbulent period, during which the ILWU issued a 72-hour strike notice followed by the BCMEA announcing a full-scale defensive lockout of workers for all ports in the province. The Canadian government ultimately intervened, ordering the Canada Industrial Relations Board (CIRB) to end the lockout and impose binding arbitration to resolve the dispute.

Source: Journal of Commerce