CMEDIA: Canada’s Labour Minister Steven MacKinnon reportedly ordered people at ports in Quebec and British Columbia back to work by sending the labour disputes to binding arbitration.
“I have directed the Canada Industrial Relations Board to order that all operations and duties at the ports resume and to assist the parties to settle their collective agreements by imposing final and binding arbitration,” MacKinnon reportedly told a press conference in Ottawa.
MacKinnon ordered that the terms of existing collective agreements be extended until new agreements can be struck adding that his decision will bring resolution to both workers and employers.
Due to the lockouts, labour stoppages and collective bargaining disputes hampering shipping at the Port of Montréal, the Port of Quebec and the Port of Vancouver, MacKinnon said contract negotiations “are not progressing toward new agreements.”
The minister also said that unless the labour stoppages come to an end, thousands of Canadians could be laid off during Christmas.
Ports on both sides of the country have been shut down due to labour disputes after nearly 1,200 dockworkers at the Port of Montreal were locked out Sunday night. They were joined by about 700 foremen at ports across British Columbia who were locked out last Monday in a separate labour dispute.
A total of about $1.2 billion in goods are being handled every day by Canada’s biggest two ports with an estimate of $800 million at the west coast ports and about $400 million at the Port of Montreal.
About 10,000 other workers, such as truck drivers and marine pilots, depend on the port’s flow of goods.
Being critical to the movement of goods and many associated jobs, these ports of Canada play a significant role. Julie Gascon, CEO of port of Montreal reported on Monday that it’s only a “matter of days” before the effects of the lockout are felt on a daily basis.
Following mediated talks in British Columbia Sunday, the first of three scheduled days, both sides were urged by the federal government on Monday to return to the table. According to the experts, the government could ask the Labour Board to step in with a legislated return to work being a more drastic option.
