*** UPDATE: WESTCOAST PORT WORKER LOCKOUT SHORT-LIVED***
More than 65 hundred members of the International Longshore and Warehouse Union found themselves locked out as of 8:00 this morning.
Warnings of a possible lockout came down from the BC Maritime Employers Association yesterday and negotiations continued in to the night.
But the two groups were unable to come to terms on an agreement, with the issue of automation at ports serving as a main point of contention.
Union negotiators say they want fair language around automation, while the Employers Association says the topic is already addressed.
Now workers at more than 20 facilities on the Westcoast, including Prince Rupert, find themselves locked out.
A disruption in BC port operation is estimated to cost Canada’s economy nearly 5 billion dollars per day.
The lockout does not effect port workers in grain or cruise ship operations.
