'We cannot allow this work stoppage to persist and risk further damage to the relationship between the parties'
Striking Canadian dock workers in British Columbia and their employers could be nearing a bargaining agreement, one Ottawa official said.
“As a result of the hard work by the parties at the bargaining table, there is a good deal within reach – one that would work for both the employer and the union,” said Seamus O'Regan Jr., Canada’s minister of labour, in a statement posted on Twitter.
Last week, the British Columbia Maritime Employers Association (BCMEA) and Warehouse Union (ILWU) Canada resumed talks after a four-day break.
O'Regan said that he has asked that the senior federal mediator send a written recommendation of the terms of settlement to me within 24 hours. He will then forward the terms of settlement to the parties, and they will have 24 hours to decide whether or not to recommend ratification of the terms to their principals.
Previously, several groups called for a federal government intervention as the two parties had not been able to come to an agreement.
Strike since July 1 for higher wages
About 7,500 port workers have been on strike since July 1 to press for higher wages. The disruption that that cost trade amounts to $500 million each day, reported Yahoo! News, citing the Canadian Manufacturers & Exporters (CM&E).
“Our nation’s economy depends on the relationship between industry and labour,” said O’Reagan. “The scale of this disruption shows how important the relationship between the BCMEA and the ILWU is to our national interest.
“We cannot allow this work stoppage to persist and risk further damage to the relationship between there parties.”
In May, the union representing workers at Ontario’s Workplace Safety and Insurance Board (WSIB) called for preventive action from the employer as the possibility of a strike neared.
