ILWU Canada Issues 72hr Strike Notice

Please be informed that the BC Maritime Employers Association (BCMEA) has received a formal 72-hour strike notice on June 28, 2023, from International Longshore and Warehouse Union (ILWU) Canada with regards to the ongoing longshore labour negotiations. 

Strike notice has been directed to BCMEA and its member employers effective July 1, 2023, at 08:00 am PT in British Columbia. 

The Parties are scheduled to continue bargaining with the assistance of the Federal Mediation and Conciliation Service (FMCS) on Thursday, June 29, 2023. Both parties remain committed to negotiate an end to this dispute.   

Although vessels have been arriving and departing on time and labour supply has not been an issue thus far, Delmar International has implemented a mandatory ERS solution to evacuate as many containers from west coast terminals as possible, expediting them to their destination to avoid any possible strike related congestion. Should the west coast strike materialize, we can anticipate that container vessel and port operations will be stopped at all BC terminals. We can also expect that carriers will conceivably divert vessels to other west coast ports. Please note that no diversions have been announced to date.  

Depending on individual import needs and strategies, Delmar will be pleased to offer a competitive solution to our clients that prefer to mitigate supply chain risks with an alternative gateway, transload and expedited rail/truck service to major Canadian and USA hubs. These solutions will be forthcoming in the coming days. We welcome the opportunity to customize these or any other solution that will help our clientele make better and more informed decisions until the current labor challenges are resolved.  

We remain confident that the mediation process will help resolve this situation and avoid any prolonged disruption. Delmar will continue to monitor and provide regular updates accordingly. 

 

For additional information and assistance, please contact your local Delmar Representative.