VANCOUVER — The organization that represents employers at roughly 30 strikebound ports in BC says binding arbitration could end the six-day-old dispute. More than 7,000 members of the International Longshore and Warehouse Union walked off the job on Canada Day. Talks stalled and business groups are increasingly demanding federal legislation to end the disruption, while CP Rail, now known as CPCK, says it has issued temporary embargoes on rail traffic to the Port of Vancouver. The latest statement from the employers association says binding arbitration could bring the dispute to a swift close, something it first proposed in mid-June. Federal Labour Minister Seamus O’Regan has so far resisted calls to legislate the strikers back to work. A key sticking point for the union is the classification of maintenance work and the use of outside contractors.
Related coverage in:
- Times Colonist – Harmac worries about shipments as port strike persists
- Trucknews.com – Vessels backing up as B.C. port strike continues
- CBC News – Fears over supply-chain disruption grow as talks remain deadlocked
- Calgary CityNews – Danielle Smith says parliament must return to end BC strike
- CNBC News – Canadian labour minister meets with provincial counterpart