The British Columbia Maritime Workers Association (BCMEA) and the International Longshore Workers Union (ILWU) Local 514 have been negotiating since the expiration of the West Coast collective agreement in March 2018. After five (5) days of successive meetings over the past week and despite all efforts, key issues have not been resolved between the parties. However, the parties have agreed to file a joint complaint with the Minister of Labour, who will now appoint a conciliation mediator for the ongoing discussion on contract renewal. This notification was filed on Friday, January 25, 2019. Note: The Minister has a maximum of 15 days to appoint a conciliation mediator. The last Foremen contract expired on 31 March 2019 and negotiations resumed shortly after the ratification of the long-hore collective agreement at the end of June. The filing of this joint dispute settlement triggered the following deadline under the Canadian Labour Code: the application of the aforementioned time line to a calendar means that the 21st day after the conciliation ends will be Wednesday, May 1, 2019. During the 21-day period, each party may strike 72 hours or lock out, provided that it meets the conditions of a vote and has received a mandate from the majority that voted. We remain cautiously optimistic that the parties will reach a renewal agreement with the support of the Federal Mediation and Conciliation Services (CSMF). Negotiation dates are scheduled for early February to meet with ILWU Ship and Dock Foremen Local 51. On January 25, the two parties filed joint dispute resolution letters – the British Columbia Maritime Employers Association (BCMEA) and the International Longshore Workers Union (ILWU), at which time discussions were virtually interrupted. As of today, February 19, the Minister of Labour has appointed Kathy M. Peters in charge of conciliation, which aims to facilitate a collective renewal agreement.
I hope this is a sign of progress. The parties agreed that no details of the agreement will be published until the interim agreement has been ratified by both parties. The British Columbia Maritime Chamber (BCMEA) and the International Longshore Warehouse Union (ILWU) Local 514 Ship and Dock Foremen reached an interim agreement on October 2, 2019.