The two sides involved in a labour dispute affecting about 7,400 port workers in British Columbia say they香蕉视频直播檝e reached a new tentative deal.
The International Longshore and Warehouse Union Canada and BC Maritime Employers Association issued a joint statement late Sunday saying a deal had been reached with help from the Canada Industrial Relations Board, which was tasked with ending the dispute that had dragged on since the beginning of the month.
A joint statement from the union and the employers association offered no details on the new deal but said both sides 香蕉视频直播渁re recommending ratification of the collective agreement to the union香蕉视频直播檚 membership and member employers respectively.香蕉视频直播
The breakthrough in the dispute came after union members voted Friday to reject a previous deal, prompting federal Labour Minister Seamus O香蕉视频直播橰egan to intervene Saturday and direct the board to determine if a negotiated agreement was still possible.
O香蕉视频直播橰egan said that otherwise the board was to 香蕉视频直播渋mpose final binding arbitration.香蕉视频直播
The dispute over a new collective agreement saw workers strike from July 1 to 13, stalling billions of dollars worth of cargo from moving in or out of 30 port terminals and other sites, including some of the country香蕉视频直播檚 busiest ports.
The previous tentative deal halted that strike, but since then the fate of any agreement has see-sawed wildly, with union leaders rejecting the deal on July 19 and briefly sending workers back to pickets, before that move was deemed illegal by the industrial relations board.
The union issued a new 72-hour strike notice only to rescind it hours later, then announced it would recommend the deal to members in a full vote. But members rejected it last week.
Before the new agreement was reached, union president Rob Ashton said in a letter Sunday that workers looked 香蕉视频直播渇orward to resuming discussions and finding common ground for the betterment of the Canadian supply chain and the livelihoods of its workforce.香蕉视频直播
Ashton said that while the deal voted down Friday included 香蕉视频直播減rogress 香蕉视频直播 in addressing certain workforce-related matters,香蕉视频直播 it did not provide protection for port workers as more maintenance work gets contracted out to third-parties.
Neither side offered a glimpse of the new deal.
But the employers association said the previously rejected contract included a compounded wage increase of 19.2 per cent and a signing bonus amounting to about $3,000 per full-time worker. It added the result would have 香蕉视频直播減otentially香蕉视频直播 boosted union longshore worker香蕉视频直播檚 median annual wage from $136,000 to $162,000, not including pension and benefits.
Pressure had been mounting for federal intervention if a deal failed to eventuate.
Parties including Alberta Premier Danielle Smith, the Business Council of Canada and the Canadian Federation of Independent Business all urged the federal government to legislate an end to the dispute if it continued.
O香蕉视频直播橰egan had said in his statement Saturday that Prime Minister Justin Trudeau香蕉视频直播檚 July 19 decision to meet with the incident response group 香蕉视频直播 a move typically reserved for moments of national crisis 香蕉视频直播 showed 香蕉视频直播渢he Government is prepared for all options and eventualities.香蕉视频直播
香蕉视频直播淭he state of uncertainty cannot continue,香蕉视频直播 O香蕉视频直播橰egan had said. 香蕉视频直播淲hile our B.C. ports are operating right now, we need long-term stability for the many workers and businesses that depend on them.香蕉视频直播
READ ALSO:
READ ALSO: