VANCOUVER — Contract negotiations in a labour dispute that has paralyzed container cargo shipping at British Columbia’s ports since Monday have been called off. In an update posted to their website on Saturday night, the B.C. Maritime Employers Association (BCMEA) says they and the International Longshore and Warehouse Union (ILWU) Local 514 met separately with the Federal Mediation and Conciliation Service (FMCS) and “there was no progress made.” “On that basis, the FMCS concluded the mediation, and no further meetings are scheduled,” the employers said in a release. The union for locked-out workers is accusing employers of abruptly ending contract talks early. …The union, which represents more than 700 longshore supervisors at ports including Vancouver, Prince Rupert and Nanaimo, has been without a contract since March last year. …Federal Labour Minister Steven MacKinnon intervened earlier during the strike to speak with leaders on both sides, asking them to restart talks.

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