Latest news with #BCMaritimeEmployersAssociation
CTV News
4 days ago
- Business
- CTV News
Industry says long-term labour stability needed after latest B.C. ports deal
VANCOUVER — Business and industry groups are applauding a deal between British Columbia's port employers and supervisors, but say the federal government also needs to take steps to ensure labour stability and Canada's reputation as a reliable trade partner. Greater Vancouver Board of Trade president Bridgitte Anderson said in a statement that disruptions due to strikes and lockouts at B.C. ports have affected more than $19 billion in trade goods. Anderson said the federal government should do anything it can to 'ensure certainty and stability in our supply chains' moving forward. 'Now more than ever, we need to be clear eyed about our need for trade diversification and to be a reliable trading partner,' Anderson said. Her comments came after the British Columbia Maritime Employers Association and the International Longshore and Warehouse Union Ship and Dock Foremen Local 514 jointly announced a new agreement that extends to March 31, 2027. A separate deal was signed with longshore workers in August 2023 after a strike, and the two agreements look set to ensure labour peace among thousands of port employees for roughly two years. The details of the latest agreement have not been released, although the employers association typically posts its deals with both port workers and supervisors to its negotiations website. The dispute between the employers and Local 514 have been contentious at times, resulting in a lockout last year in what the association had described as a defensive action after the union authorized strike action and planned an overtime ban. The union said port automation was among its top concerns and was seeking staffing guarantees regardless of the technologies being introduced, while the employers said their offer at the time included a 19.2 per cent wage increase over four years. Grain Growers of Canada executive director Kyle Larkin said the country must do everything it can to avoid a repeat of labour turmoil in 2024. In addition to B.C. port employers locking out supervisors, It was a year that saw job action in a dispute involving grain terminal employees, while a railway lockout involving both Canadian National and Canadian Pacific Kansas City snarled cargo traffic. 'There are jurisdictions around the world who have very strong labour relations, but they also have a strong economy,' Larkin said. 'We need to look at the examples that they have and build on them.' Larkin said that the labour uncertainty of 2024 has not only hurt the movement of goods to existing markets such as the United States and China, but also undermined efforts to diversify grain exports to markets such as Southeast Asia. 'Those customers in markets around the world may — and already have — started looking elsewhere,' he said. 'And we have major competitors around the word, be it the Brazilians, be it the Australians, be it the Americans and others that we're competing with every day. 'So if we have continued labour disruptions, we'll lose markets around the world. We'll lose customers … I don't know what the silver bullet is, but what I do know is that we need a better path forward so we never have another 2024.' This report by Chuck Chiang of The Canadian Press was first published June 5, 2025.
CBC
5 days ago
- Business
- CBC
B.C. port foremen's union and employers ratify 4-year deal
Maritime employers in British Columbia and the union representing port foremen say they have ratified a new four-year collective agreement, after a dispute that saw workers locked out of container terminals last year. The British Columbia Maritime Employers Association and the International Longshore and Warehouse Union Ship and Dock Foremen Local 514 said in a joint statement that the new collective agreement extends from April 1, 2023, to March 31, 2027. "We look forward to working together to implement the terms of the agreement," the two sides said in the statement. It is the second major labour deal for Canada's West Coast ports that will be in place until March 2027, after an earlier agreement with thousands of port workers that was signed in August 2023 following a strike. WATCH | Lockout initiated by port employers last year: Foremen set to be locked out amid contract dispute at B.C. ports 7 months ago Duration 2:49 Hundreds of foremen in Vancouver and Port Rupert were locked out by their employer, the B.C. Maritime Employers' Association, on Monday afternoon, with the employer calling it a "defensive action" after port workers served 72 hours strike notice. The union says the BCMEA is overreacting. The details of the new deal with supervisors have not been released, and neither the employers association nor the union representing roughly 700 supervisors immediately responded to requests for comment. They had been without a deal since the last accord expired in March 2023. The union had said port automation was a major concern, with supervisors wanting assurances on staffing levels regardless of the technology being used at B.C. ports. The negotiations were contentious at times, with Local 514 filing a complaint against the employers with the Canada Industrial Relations Board alleging direct contact with members during talks. The employers association had called the complaint meritless, noting its offer to the union at the time included a 19.2 per cent wage increase over the four-year term of the deal. The dispute took its most drastic turn on Nov. 4, when employers locked out members of Local 514 in what they called a defensive action. The union had voted to authorize strike action but said at the time that members were only planning partial job actions such as an overtime ban when they were locked out. Container cargo traffic at terminals on the West Coast were halted in the dispute, eventually prompting the federal government to step in on Nov. 12. That was when the federal labour minister at the time, Steven MacKinnon, directed the Canada Industrial Relations Board to order the resumption of all operations and move talks to binding arbitration.
Cision Canada
05-05-2025
- Sport
- Cision Canada
BC MARITIME EMPLOYERS ASSOCIATION RENEWS PARTNERSHIP WITH BC LIONS FOR GROUNDBREAKING BE MORE THAN A BYSTANDER PROGRAM
15 years of impact: Reaching classrooms, communities, and workplaces across our entire province. VANCOUVER, BC, May 5, 2025 /CNW/ - The BC Maritime Employers Association (BCMEA) and the BC Lions are proud to announce a renewal of their partnership for the Be More Than a Bystander program. Since its inception in 2011, the program continues to grow and evolve, expanding its reach from classrooms to communities and workplaces across British Columbia. A powerful collaboration between the BC Lions and the Ending Violence Association of BC (EVA BC), Be More Than a Bystander equips youth and adults with the tools and confidence to speak up against gender-based violence, harassment, and bullying. Going on for 15 productive years, this program has reached thousands of students through hundreds of school visits, creating meaningful conversations around leadership and respect. Since joining as the program's corporate partner in 2022, BCMEA has played a pivotal role in expanding Be More Than a Bystander into the workplace, helping train nearly 10,000 waterfront workers in one of the most comprehensive workplace violence and harassment prevention efforts ever undertaken in Canada's federal sector. "This program works because it's about action," said BCMEA president and CEO Mike Leonard. "Whether it's a classroom, on the waterfront, or online, we all have a role to play in ending bullying, harassment, and gender-based violence. Our continued partnership with the BC Lions reflects our shared commitment to building safer, more respectful workplaces and communities." This year, Lions quarterback Nathan Rourke served as the program's main ambassador, teaming up with several of his teammates to visit 25 schools and thousands of students across the province. Together, they helped deliver the message that leadership means more than just performance on the field—it means standing up for others and helping create safe, inclusive spaces for everyone. "It's incredible to see how far this program has come," said Lions' director of community partnerships Jamie Taras. "Fifteen years ago, we set out to create real change by giving youth the confidence to speak up. With partners like BCMEA, this message has grown far beyond the field, reaching workplaces and communities across the province." With strong support from employers, unions, and civic leaders, Be More Than a Bystander continues to inspire true leadership and positive peer influence in all areas of life. "With the support of strong partners like BCMEA, this program continues to evolve and deepen its impact," said EVA BC executive director Ninu Kang. "From students to longshore workers, we're seeing people across BC step up and become part of the solution." About the BC Maritime Employers Association The BCMEA represents 48 maritime employers, from terminal operators to ocean carriers and ship agents, and is responsible for the training, safety, recruitment, dispatch, and administration of wages and benefits of 9,400 waterfront workers. Canada's West Coast ports are responsible for the safe and efficient movement of approximately $800 million worth of cargo per day, totalling 25 percent of Canada's total traded goods. About the Ending Violence Association of BC The Ending Violence Association of BC (EVA BC) works to coordinate and support the efforts of victim-serving and anti-violence programs throughout British Columbia. EVA BC collaborates with communities, service providers, and institutions to improve prevention and response systems that support individuals affected by gender-based violence, harassment, and hate. About Be More Than a Bystander Created in 2011 by the BC Lions and EVA BC, Be More Than a Bystander is a province-wide initiative that aims to break the silence surrounding gender-based violence by educating youth and adults alike on how to safely speak up and take action. The program includes in-person and virtual school presentations, workplace training, public appearances, and multimedia awareness campaigns. In 2025, the program is proudly presented in partnership with the Province of British Columbia, the BC Maritime Employers Association, with additional support from the BC Federation of Labour and Teck Resources.
