B.C. port workers union rejects deal, strike back on, say employers

VANCOUVER — Employers say union leaders representing British Columbia’s port workers have rejected a mediator’s tentative agreement that had ended strike action last week.  

The BC Maritime Employers Association says the strike will resume Tuesday afternoon. 

The association says the leaders of the International Longshore Workers Union Canada rejected the deal without sending it to a full membership vote. 

The 13-day strike that ended last Thursday involved about 7,400 port workers at more than 30 port terminals and other sites across the province. 

The employers association says the proposed deal was a four-year collective agreement that included “considerable hikes in wages and benefits.” 

The strike froze billions of dollars worth of cargo from moving in and out of harbours, including at Canada’s busiest port in Vancouver. 

This story by The Canadian Press was first published July 18, 2023. 

The Canadian Press