B.C. port workers reject tentative agreement that ended strike

Unionized port workers in British Columbia have rejected a tentative agreement with their employer, throwing the province’s ports back into turmoil.

In a brief statement Friday night, the International Longshore and Warehouse Union Canada announced that its longshore division had “said no to the terms of the settlement.”

“Today we call on our direct employers to come to the table and negotiate something that works for our members and the industry,” the union said.

The union has been without a contract since March 31, when its previous deal with the BC Maritime Employers Association expired.

Negotiations on a new contract began late last year, but have been fraught, ultimately culminating in a 13-day strike action by the union.

That action ended on July 13, when both sides initially accepted a deal put forward by a federally appointed mediator.

On July 18, however, ILWU leadership announced that it had rejected the mediator’s terms, and picket lines returned to B.C. ports.

That action proved to be short-lived, as the Canada Industrial Relations Board ruled the resumption of the strike illegal, because it lacked a 72-hour notice.

While the union objected to this ruling and promised to appeal, it ceased picketing and issued a new strike notice, before rescinding that notice and promising a membership vote on the deal.

Now, that deal has been rejected by the union’s full membership, leaving the parties once again at an impasse.

This is a developing story and will be updated Saturday morning.

With files from The Canadian Press