Update: 21.07.2023
According to the latest operational update by German carrier Hapag-Lloyd, “Canadian West Coast ports - Currently, all Container Terminals in Vancouver and Prince Rupert are open and operating today (July 20, 2023).”
While no official statement was issued about the situation at the ports of Vancouver and Prince Rupert by the BCMEA and ILWU Canada, information on the ports’ websites indicates that vessel berthing and departure are operating normally.
Prince Rupert Port Authority shows a full schedule of vessel arrival and departure with some ships, such as MOL Charisma, currently at berth with a planned departure on 21 July. In addition, the latest information from Global Container Terminals, operator of Vancouver’s Deltaport, shows that the terminal will be open for day and evening shifts today and next week.
News about the two parties returning to negotiations is not available at the moment. However, analysts speculate that port authorities will attempt to handle as many vessels as possible in the next few days.
Original article: 20.07.2023
A series of announcements were made in the past 24 hours regarding the renewed strike on Canada’s west coast.
On Tuesday, 18 June, ILWU Canada announced it rejected the agreement proposed by mediators and called on its members to go back on strike the same day. However, the next day, the Canada Industrial Relations Board (CIRB) said the renewed strikes were illegal, claiming the union should have issued a 72-hour notice before they got back on strike.
In response, the ILWU issued a statement saying it “removed its picket lines voluntarily,” and consequently, workers returned to the docks. Nevertheless, the union opposed the claim that the strikes were illegal, saying, “The ILWU has followed Canadian labour law, which holds that a strike continues from the moment of job action until the ratification of a collective agreement.”
“The CIRB, however, did not follow the established cases and determined that new strike notice was required. The ILWU will appeal the CIRB decision but will respect the ruling and reissue notice,” added the union. Consequently, strikes were planned to begin on 22 July at 9:00 am.
Later, the same day, the union announced it was removing the strike notice. “Effective immediately, the strike notice dated 22 July for 9:00 am has now been removed,” said ILWU Canada without revealing the reason. It is, at the moment, unclear whether this means that the workers will continue to strike based on the 1 July notice or if they will choose to remain at the docks.
Local media outlets linked the removal of the notice to the emergency meeting held by Prime Minister Justin Trudeau with ministers and senior officials to discuss the labour disruption in British Columbia’s ports. A statement issued by the prime minister's office revealed, "The Prime Minister stressed the critical importance of resuming operations in our ports as soon as possible. Workers and employers across Canada – and all Canadians – cannot face further disruption."
According to a report by CNBC, nearly $6.5 billion worth of cargo is stranded outside two of the key Canadian ports, Vancouver and Prince Rupert. The impact of the strikes, which went on for 13 days, began to kick in as vessel waiting times jumped significantly at the ports reaching nearly eight days this week in Vancouver.
