Canada intervenes in labour disputes at BC and Montreal ports ‣ WorldCargo News

Labour Minister Steven MacKinnon ordered the CIRB to end strikes with binding arbitration, a move criticised by CUPE as forced back-to-work legislation.

On Tuesday, Canada took decisive steps to address labour disputes at its largest ports, Vancouver and Montreal, warning of economic risks and potential trade disruptions. Federal Labour Minister Steven MacKinnon instructed the Canada Industrial Relations Board (CIRB) to end the strikes and impose binding arbitration, citing mounting economic losses as the impetus for urgent action to protect jobs and Canada’s economic stability.

The disputes, which MacKinnon estimates are affecting over C$ 1.3b (US$ 932m) in goods daily, have disrupted shipments of canola oil, forest products, other essential commodities and containerised goods.

While business groups welcomed the government’s intervention, the International Longshore and Warehouse Union (ILWU) Local 514, representing supervisory longshore workers in British Columbia, announced plans to legally challenge the order.

Read more: BC Ports start lockout

MacKinnon explained that the CIRB, acting under government direction, would take several days to issue its ruling. Although the government generally favours collective bargaining, he noted that intervention was necessary due to stalled negotiations and the significant impact of the work stoppages on Canada’s economy, employment, and international trade reputation.

Montreal and Vancouver ports to resume operations

Following Minister MacKinnon’s directive, the Montreal Port Authority (MPA) announced plans to gradually resume operations across all terminals. “Depending on the CIRB’s decision, cargo handling activities will progressively resume in both Montreal and Contrecoeur, in collaboration with port and intermodal partners. It will take several weeks to clear terminal backlogs and restore fluidity in the supply chain,” the MPA stated.

“The full resumption of operations at the Port of Vancouver is still uncertain. The port is focused on helping users restore operations and improve fluidity as quickly as possible. There is high demand for anchorage space, with limited availability in both the port’s jurisdiction and the Southern Gulf Islands,” the Vancouver Fraiser Port Authority said in a statement. Operations in the automotive and breakbulk sectors are affected. However, grain operations and activities at the Westshore coal terminal are running normally, and most petroleum products are still moving. Other bulk commodity operations are disrupted. Container operations at Centerm, Deltaport, Fraser Surrey, and Vanterm terminals are delayed, while rail services have embargoes in place, further affecting transport.

MEA welcomes intervention

The Maritime Employers Association (MEA) expressed approval of the government’s decision to intervene. “The MEA awaits instructions from the CIRB on the next steps and will take necessary measures to resume activities as quickly as possible at the Port of Montreal,” it said.

Read more: Montreal longshoremen’s union rejects latest offer from MEA

CUPE disappointed

In contrast, the Canadian Union of Public Employees (CUPE) expressed disappointment at the intervention, condemning the minister’s decision to enforce back-to-work legislation. “The decision forces port workers in British Columbia and Montreal off their legal picket lines, trampling on their constitutionally protected rights,” said CUPE’s national president, Mark Hancock.

Hancock criticised the MEA’s approach, claiming the employers “lock out our members, then turn to the Minister, claiming their own actions are causing chaos in Canada.” He argued that government intervention undermines workers’ fundamental rights instead of addressing essential concerns such as work-life balance.

CUPE further pointed to longstanding issues in Montreal and Quebec City, where scheduling concerns have persisted for years due to repeated government interventions in labour negotiations. “Binding arbitration does not address scheduling issues – it leaves them to the parties to negotiate, and they linger without resolution,” CUPE stated.

“These are lockouts, not strikes,” added Candace Rennick, CUPE’s national secretary-treasurer. “Employers are causing the stoppages and then calling on the government to intervene, eliminating any incentive for good-faith bargaining. The Minister should be directing employers back to the negotiating table. I urge the CIRB to reject this order and respect workers’ rights.”

Concerns over workers’ rights

Patrick Gloutney, CUPE Quebec President, described the intervention as “a dark day for workers’ rights.” He highlighted the recent lockout at the Port of Montreal, where employees were excluded on Sunday night, with the employer immediately seeking government intervention. “The citizens of this country should be concerned. This action is a setback for middle-class rights,” Gloutney said.

“Scheduling is the crux of the dispute in both Montreal and Quebec City,” CUPE concluded. “Minister MacKinnon should compel employers to return to negotiations with genuine offers that address workers’ concerns, rather than yielding to employer demands and denying workers their right to free and fair collective bargaining. Workers deserve better – this decision only prolongs the conflict and deepens the injustice.”

The current dispute marks the second intervention by the Canadian government in recent months, following an order in August to end work stoppages at two major railway companies. The last collective agreement between the Maritime Employers Association and CUPE Local 375, representing longshore workers, was signed in 2013.