Federal Labour Minister Provides Settlement Proposal to End Port Worker Strike, Sides Have 24 Hours to Respond

Federal Labour Minister Seamus O’Regan has stepped in to try to bring an end to the port worker strike as it hits a dozen days.

Members of the International Longshore Workers Union went on strike on July 1st, but negotiations stalled out shortly after.

Since then, they have been locked in a stalemate with the BC Maritime Employers Association over third party contracting, automation, and wages.

After ten weeks of unsuccessful negotiations, a federal mediator was appointed to help bridge the gap on Tuesday.

Deeming the sides too close to justify further job action, O’Regan called for the mediator’s final recommendations yesterday.

Both sides have now been provided with a proposed settlement, and have 24 hours to decide whether or not to recommend ratification of its terms.