There may be movement towards an end to the bitter labour dispute that has shut down B.C.’s ports.
Federal Labour Minister Seamus O’Regan sent a letter to the lead federal negotiator in the strike Tuesday to trigger section 105(2) of the Canada Labour Code, which allows them to make recommendations for a settlement of the dispute.
Sources say the mediator feels there is a deal to be made, but that at this point neither side is moving towards it.
However, the federal team feels they can craft a deal both parties would sign, and the minister has asked them to draft the proposed agreement, sources told Global News.
The offer is expected to be presented to both striking dockworkers and their employer Wednesday morning. Once they have received it, each side would have 24 hours to review it and decide if they want to accept.
Tuesday marked the 11th day of the dispute between more than 7,400 cargo loaders with the International Longshore and Warehouse Union Canada and the B.C. Maritime Employers Association.
Talks between the two sides resumed Saturday after breaking down last week.
The union has accused the employer of demanding “major concessions” from the union despite “record profits during the COVID-19 pandemic,” while the employer has accused workers of making unreasonable pay demands “well outside the established norm of union settlements in Canada.”
Who performs maintenance work at the port has also been a crucial sticking point, with the union accusing the employer of eroding their jurisdiction by bringing in contract workers.
The employers’ association has argued the union is trying to “aggressively expand” its control of maintenance duties far beyond an agreement that the association says has been “legally well established for decades.”
The strike has ground critical Canadian supply chains to a halt and cost the national economy an estimated $500 million per day.
That has drawn calls from business groups, several premiers and opposition politicians to press the government to step in and end the dispute.
© 2023 Global News, a division of Corus Entertainment Inc.
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