Ocean Shipping
Operations have resumed at ports throughout Canada, but the strike period has led to a huge backlog of containers at Montreal and West Coast ports such as Vancouver, which is expected to disrupt logistics for the next few weeks.
Work resumed this weekend after the Canada Industrial Relations Board (CIRB) ordered a return, after a series of walkouts and indefinite strikes have been impacting ocean and rail freight during the past few weeks.
Negotiations have been put on ice to secure contracts for port workers on the US East and Gulf coasts, increasing the likelihood of a January strike.
October’s strike was suspended after three days, when a tentative agreement on wages was reached. However, workers only agreed to return to work until January 15th, while the ILA and USMX negotiated “all other outstanding issues”.
The latest round of talks broke down last week, with port automation very much at the centre of the dispute. The ILA opposes any kind of automation, believing that this would result in some workers losing their jobs, but the USMX argue that automation is essential for safety and efficiency and will not necessarily result in job losses.
The two parties are expected to continue negotiations ahead of the January deadline, but many industry experts fear that we are heading towards another strike in the new year.
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