Jun 12, 2023
B.C. port workers vote overwhelmingly in favour of a strike
By Tara Weber
International Longshore and Warehouse Union Canada, the union representing 7,000 terminal cargo workers, held a vote over the weekend and says their membership has voted 99.24 per cent in favour.
B.C. is home to two of the country’s three busiest ports in the country: the
Port of Vancouver and the Port of Prince Rupert. According to the BC Maritime Employers Association's website, its members contribute $2.7 billion to Canada's GDP, annually. It also handles roughly 16 per cent of Canada's total traded goods, which were valued at $180-Billion in 2020.
The union and the BC Maritime Employers Association have been negotiating a new collective agreement since the last one expired at the end of march.
The earliest possible start date of a work stoppage is June 24.
