The B.C.
Maritime Employers Association (BCMEA) released a final offer on Saturday,2
Nov, which was quickly dismissed by the
International Longshore and Warehouse Union Local 514. Federal mediators have been on hand to try
and thrash out a deal to ensure the province’s ports – including Canada’s
largest, Vancouver – do not halt operations today.
The
BCMEA issued a formal notice on Friday of its intention to defensively lock out
all ILWU Local 514 members from 8 am today 4 Nov.
A 13-day strike across British
Columbia ports last year cost the national economy hundreds of millions of
dollars and was only stopped when the federal government stepped in.
Meanwhile,
on the other side of Canada, there continues to be industrial unrest between
employers and workers at Montreal, the nation’s second-largest port.