Contract negotiations appear to have broken down even further as the International Longshore Workers Union enters day five of strike action.
According to the Union, mediators from the BC Maritime Employers Association walked away from the table as talks were set to continue yesterday.
But, the Association says that the move was simply a pause, which they had hoped would act as a reset.
Both sides say they are willing to return to the table, but they remain in a stalemate over the scope of maintenance work provided by the Union.
Negotiators for the BCMEA have accused the Union of attempting to aggressively expand the jurisdiction of their maintenance work.
However, the Union says that their efforts are only an attempt to stem the excessive and growing use of third party contractors.
What is certain is the strike’s impact on the economy and supply chain.
For each day the strike remains in effect, the country loses an estimated $1 billion in global trade revenues.
In response to the pause, Labour Minister Seamus O’Regan called for both sides to return to the table and not leave until a deal is in hand.
Now, the Union is proposing a meeting between them and the direct presidents of four major shipping companies to discuss the issues.
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