The British Columbia port strike is over

A strike that paralyzed the ports of Vancouver and other parts of British Columbia and slowed commercial traffic for nearly two weeks ended Thursday with an agreement signed between the union and the airport authority.

The International Longshore and Warehouse Union (ILWU), which represents about 7,400 workers, has finally reached a tentative agreement with the BC Maritime Employers Association through Ottawa-appointed mediators, transport and labor ministers announced. Reagan.

“The parties are finalizing the details of the resumption of work at the ports”, they announced early Thursday afternoon, acknowledging that “the scale of these disruptions is significant”.

The strike started on 1^er July by union, many businesses across the country as well as supply chains spanning over time have sustained significant losses.

Employees are demanding higher wages as well as protection from expected job losses due to technological advances in automation and artificial intelligence.

Guaranteed by CFIB

The Canadian Federation of Independent Business (CFIB) welcomed the deal after several “agonizing” days for SMEs.

According to the organization, 53% of SME owners said they were affected by the strike.

“Now we need to restart the economy, identify delays and resume deliveries as soon as possible,” said Jasmine Gunet, CFIB’s vice president of national affairs.

“Even if port operations resume today, it will take months for the supply chain to return to normal due to the delays accumulated during the strike,” he added.

For its part, manufacturers and exporters want ports such as Railways du Québec (MEQ) to be considered essential services.

“Quebec manufacturers are being held hostage by these repeated strikes. “Transport must become an essential service when a strike has the power to paralyze the Quebec economy and ultimately all Quebecers,” said MEQ President and CEO Véronique Proulx.