British Columbia port strike ends

The strike that paralyzed the ports of Vancouver and elsewhere in British Columbia and slowed commercial traffic for nearly two weeks ended Thursday with a signed agreement between the union and the Airport Authority.

The Ministers of Transportation and Labor announced that the International Warehouse and Warehouse Union (ILWU), which represents about 7,400 employees, has finally reached a preliminary agreement with the British Columbia Maritime Employers Association through Ottawa-appointed brokers. Regan.

And they announced at the beginning of Thursday afternoon that “the two parties are finalizing the details of resuming work in the ports,” acknowledging that “the scale of these disturbances is large.”

The strike that started at 1^any July by the union, it severely damaged many businesses across the country as well as the supply chain as it stretched over time.

Employees have been demanding higher wages as well as protection from expected job losses due to technological advances in automation and artificial intelligence.

CFIB reassuring

The Canadian Confederation of Independent Businesses (CFIB) welcomed the agreement reached after several “agonizing” days for small and medium businesses.

According to the organization, 53% of owners of small and medium enterprises said they were affected by this strike.

“We now have to restart the economy, catch up with delays, and resume deliveries as quickly as possible,” said Jasmine Janet, CFIB’s vice president of national affairs.

“He added that even if port activities resume today, it will take months before the supply chain returns to normal due to the delays accumulated during the strike.

For its part, Manufactiers et Exportateurs du Québec (MEQ) wants to consider ports, like railways, as an essential service.

Quebec manufacturers are being held hostage by these repeated strikes. “Transportation must become an essential service while a strike has the potential to cripple the Quebec economy, and ultimately all Quebecers,” said Veronique Proulx, MEQ President and CEO.