Western Canada dock workers to resume talks Monday as strike enters third day
By Chris Helgren
DELTA, British Columbia (Reuters) - Dock workers at Canada's western Pacific coast will resume talks on Monday to try and end their first strike in three decades, as a union leader urged on Sunday the federal government to stay out of the negotiations.
Some 7,500 dock workers representing the International Longshore and Warehouse Union (ILWU) went on strike Saturday after negotiations with the British Columbia Maritime Employers Association (BCMEA) failed to reach a settlement.
The strike threatens to disrupt work at two of Canada's busiest ports, the Port of Vancouver and Port of Prince Rupert, the country's No. 1 and No. 3 by turnover. They are the key gateways to export the country's natural resources and commodities and bringing in raw materials.
More than C$800 million ($604 million) worth of goods make their way through the western ports each day, accounting for about a quarter of Canada's total traded goods flow.
"The federal government must stay out of our business," Rob Ashton, president of ILWU Canada, told reporters on Sunday. "If the BCMEA gets their way, and their way is to let the (federal) government make the collective agreement for them, there will never be labour peace on the waterfront," he added.
After 33 consecutive hours of negotiations, the talks between the two parties "temporarily" paused on Sunday evening, and the talks would resume on Monday, the union said in a statement.
The walkout could have serious consequences for Canada's economy and small businesses, the Canadian Federation of Independent Business said on Saturday. A prolonged strike would further fuel price pressures, just as the Bank of Canada has resumed its interest rate hike campaign to bring inflation back to its 2% range.
The union is seeking a deal to protect workers jobs and recognition for the sacrifices the staff made during the pandemic. Their main demands also include stopping outsourcing of work and to limit the impact of port automation on current and future generations of workers.
($1 = 1.3250 Canadian dollars)
(Reporting by Denny Thomas; Editing by Christopher Cushing)
