The British Columbia Maritime Employers Association (BCMEA) said that the International Longshore Warehouse Union (ILWU) Local 514 had communicated a mandate to strike from its members —  the latest action that could disrupt North America's supply chains.

The employer association of companies that employ longshoremen noted, however, that no 72-hour notice has been issued yet, and employers have not issued a similar 72-hour notice of a lockout of employees.

"The BCMEA is committed to continued good faith bargaining with ILWU Local 514 and awaits the conclusion of the Canada Industrial Relations Board (CIRB) hearing regarding the union’s DP World (Canada) Inc. pay and manning proposal, which the BCMEA alleges to be illegal, constituting the union bargaining in bad faith," BCMEA said in a statement.

The current coastwide agreement between the BCMEA and ILWU Local 514 expired on March 31, 2023.  

BCMEA noted the repercussions of a possible strike with industrial actions expected to impact major container hubs on the Canadian West Coast including the ports of Vancouver and Prince Rupert.

"At a time when Canada’s supply chain is just beginning to recover from the repercussions of the multi-day rail disruption, ILWU Local 514's latest action does little to assure Canadians and global trading partners of supply chain stability," it said.

The employers group added that over the last 16 months, it has proposed comprehensive offers that would have resulted in a competitive and balanced deal to ILWU Local 514 members and, if accepted, would have provided all forepersons with significant gains in wages and benefits without any concession requests from employers.

"We remain committed to bargaining in good faith and seeking a balanced agreement that recognizes the hard work of the 730 forepersons on BC's waterfront while ensuring West Coast ports remain competitive, resilient and affordable for all Canadians," BCMEA said.

In early July, ILWU Local 514 called for a strike, but the CIRB ruled it as illegal. Later in July, the BCMEA announced that ILWU Local 514's legal counsel had informed all parties about the union's plan to conduct a vote for an industry-wide strike in the upcoming weeks, prior to the official confirmation of a strike mandate.

In July 2023, a strike by ILWU (Canada) members halted Canadian West Coast ports for 13 days. The industrial action was only settled with federal government intervention.

Meanwhile, the parties involved are scheduled to continue the CIRB hearing next week.