Employers at BC ports have announced that picket lines have come down at container terminals across the province, with cargo operations expected to resume by 4:30 PM today.
This follows an order from the Canada Industrial Relations Board, which intervened after federal Labour Minister Steven MacKinnon directed it to enforce binding arbitration in the ongoing negotiations. The dispute, involving employers and about 700 unionized supervisors, had led to a lockout lasting over a week at several ports, including Vancouver, Canada’s busiest.
The BC Maritime Employers Association also noted that the board has scheduled a hearing next week for both parties to address questions regarding Minister MacKinnon’s intervention.
