As Day 10 dawns on BC Port Strike; Talks Back On as both sides return to negotiating table

ILWU 505 members rallied on the waterfront near Kwinitsa Station on Saturday
(image from ILWU FB)

It was a weekend of rallies for members of the ILWU in Prince Rupert, Vancouver and other port cities, with members on strike reminding the employer that  one day longer, one day stronger is setting their narrative towards a resolution to the labour impasse. 

The Prince Rupert workers and their supporters gathered Saturday at the Waterfront gate to the rail yard by Kwinitsa station Museum, that following a march down the hill from First Avenue West.

The ILWU flag flying on the Prince Rupert
waterfront at the waterfront road access near Kwinitsa
(image from ILWU FB)

The weekend of rallies arrived as the two sides of the labour dispute made a return to the bargaining table.

Assisted by a Federal mediator, the discussions resumed on Saturday the first time that the two sides sat down since July 3rd. 

The resumption of the talks was followed by a statement from the representatives of the employer the BCMEA, which outlined some of the themes for the talks.

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The ILWU did not issue a statement related to the weekend negotiations, though prior to the resumptions of the discussions they had outlined the volume of national and international support the union had received from other unions.

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The ILWU flow of news through the weekend was mostly focused by social message contributions  on the rallies up and down the coast with photos and videos of the events as they took place.

Of note from the weekend negotiations was a proposal from the BCMEA that a sub-committee, chaired by an arbitrator be put together to explore the issue of maintenance and issues contracting out.  

That element of the discussions has been one of the key areas identified by both sides as the largest impediment towards a settlement.

Should that proposal prove to be an acceptable option, it may clear the way to knock down the rest of the outstanding issues that would bring the strike to an end.

The Federal government which is providing for the mediation process, is also hearing from stakeholders across the nation. The are expressing growing concerns over the impact from the strike and disruption of goods on the Canadian economy, as well as the reputation for the nation towards reliability as a transportation hub.

You can review the latest notes from the BC Ports Strike through our archive page here. 

Cross posted from the North Coast Review.