BC Chamber of Commerce Statement on the Resumption of BC Ports Strike

In response to the International Longshore and Warehouse Union (ILWU) decision to reject the tentative agreement with the BC Maritime Employers Association and resume labour action at west coast ports, Fiona Famulak, President and CEO of the BC Chamber of Commerce, released the following statement:

“On behalf of the 100 chambers of commerce and boards of trade and the 36,000 businesses that we represent, we are profoundly disappointed the ILWU has rejected the tentative agreement.  Our port infrastructure is critical to the health and success of our businesses, workers and national economy.  

“The strike had already dragged on too long when the tentative deal was announced last week. With an estimated $9.7 billion of cargo disrupted since July 1, it is untenable for the labour dispute to continue further. The federal government needs to use every resource at its disposal to bring the parties together and bring a swift end to the strike.”