'Their jobs are fundamentally changing from the way they have been for essentially the last 100 years or more with the introduction of more automation in ports'
An industrial inquiry commission is urging the federal government to invest in retraining and re-skilling dock workers in British Columbia to stabilise Canada’s trading relationships and prevent shutdowns on the waterfront.
This call comes as dock workers face increasing risks from automation, according to a report from The Globe and Mail.
"Pressure for enhanced efficiency, safety and competitiveness is high, and longshoring workers unfortunately are bearing the consequences of this pressure," said mediator Vince Ready and Vancouver lawyer Amanda Rogers in their 155-page report, according to the newspaper. "Their jobs are fundamentally changing from the way they have been for essentially the last 100 years or more with the introduction of more automation in ports."
The federal government appointed Ready to lead the inquiry 14 months ago, while also tapping the services of Rogers, following a series of labour disputes between union locals and port employers.
Meanwhile, the International Longshore & Warehouse Union Canada (ILWU), which represents approximately 8,400 dock workers across B.C., remains concerned about job security as automation advances. The ILWU argues that contracting out and automation are steadily eroding traditional dock worker roles.
Tariffs imposed by United States President Donald Trump have also exacerbated the situation, said Ready and Rogers.
"The need for reliability in Canada’s ports has only been intensified by recent tariffs on Canadian products introduced and threatened by U.S. President Donald Trump, which are set to dramatically change the nature of importing and exporting in Canada," they noted.
"Given the deep connectivity of the global supply chain, delays and uncertainties caused by labour disputes can have far-reaching consequences."
Two earlier reports commissioned by the federal government into West Coast ports — one released in 1995 and the other in 2010 — warned of long-term labour strife, according to The Globe and Mail.
The Greater Vancouver Board of Trade’s “port shutdown calculator” tracks the financial value of trade disruptions on the West Coast, increasing every second during strikes or lockouts. The calculator showed that $8-billion worth of cargo had been affected during a 10-day lockout last November involving about 730 unionised dock supervisors, based on an estimated daily impact of $800-million.
During a two-week strike in the summer of 2023 involving 7,400 rank-and-file longshore workers, the calculator indicated that $10.7-billion worth of cargo had been disrupted.
Approximately 6,000 ILWU workers are based in the Vancouver region, 1,000 in Prince Rupert in northern British Columbia, and the remainder on Vancouver Island.
The commission’s report includes several other recommendations alongside the proposed retraining fund, including maintaining the right to strike or lockout, introducing a special mediator for future disputes, and broadening ILWU's geographic certification. The BC Maritime Employers Association (BCMEA) — which represents 49 private-sector employers, including shipowners and terminal operators — would also engage with a newly certified council of unions under the proposed framework to stabilise future bargaining rounds.
In the dispute at four B.C. ports last November, the BCMEA locked out ship and dock forepersons for 10 days following limited strike action by ILWU Local 514, which included a ban on working overtime. More than 30 terminals were affected across the Vancouver region, Prince Rupert, and the Vancouver Island communities of Nanaimo and Port Alberni.
The previous five-year collective agreement at Local 514 expired on March 31, 2023. The BCMEA and members of the local recently ratified a new four-year contract, which remains in effect until March 31, 2027.
Dock workers in other parts of the country have also previously launched strikes.
