INTERNATIONAL LONGSHORE AND WAREHOUSE UNION – CANADA
ILWU CANADA LONGSHORE NEGOTIATION COMMITTEE STATEMENT
JULY 4, 2023
On July 3, 2023, while the union at the Federal Mediation and Conciliation Service (FMCS) was awaiting a response from the employer, we received a message from the mediators that the BCMEA had left the table. The Union conveyed the message to the federal mediators that the Union will not give up the negotiations, we can be reached every day and at any time of the day. We expressed to the mediators our disappointment that the BCMEA had broken off the talks.
The BCMEA accuses the Union of trying to aggressively expand its responsibility for regular maintenance work. This is completely false and shows that the federation is deaf to the Union’s real and legitimate concerns.
The main issue standing in the way of an agreement is the outsourcing of ILWU maintenance work by BCMEA member employers and the refusal by the association and its member companies to agree on a periodic maintenance document that is all but one sentence complete .
Our responsibility for maintenance has been aggressively undermined by member employers through the use of third party contractors. For the direct employers, this is not a question of costs, as they already bear the costs for the maintenance companies to carry out this work. In fact, employing ILWU professionals will be more cost-effective and result in a higher quality of work due to their industry experience and expertise.
Nor is it because the Union is unable to offer trades. It is the unwillingness of employers to use our craftsmen appropriately. We already have a sufficient number of registered tradespeople to meet the needs of the industry and we continue to recruit more. The problem is that BCMEA member employers refuse to use them or train them as needed. The BCMEA is aware of the commitment already made by the Union in the negotiations to improve trade utilization but refuses to recognize the solution.
To find a way forward, the ILWU Canada Bargaining Committee met with federal mediators today. We have proposed a meeting with four of our direct employers to discuss directly with them a possible solution to the alimony issue to move the negotiations forward.
The Union requested a face-to-face meeting with the following Presidents and CEOs:
- Eric Waltz – Global Container Terminals Canada
- Douglas Smith – DP World Canada
- Craig Olley – Neptune Terminals and
- Don Nonis – Pembina (also Chairman of the BCMEA Board).
The mediators sent this message to the BCMEA this morning, but we have had no response as of the time of this publication.
Today we support Labor Secretary Seamus O’Regan’s call for an immediate return to the negotiating table and to remain there until an agreement is reached. So we urge the BCMEA to come back to the negotiating table and do the hard work needed to reach an agreement. If the association does not negotiate, we encourage member employers to negotiate directly with the union. A negotiated solution is possible and we are able to get the job done.
Rob Ashton
President – ILWU Canada