Canadian Port Workers Authorize Strike
Unionized port workers in Canada authorized a strike in a near-unanimous (99%) vote, adding to brewing labor tensions affecting ports along the West Coast, the Washington Post reports.
“The move, which comes after months of deliberation between the union and the British Columbia Maritime Employers Association mediated by the Canadian government, means the union’s 7,200 dockworkers could walk out as soon as June 24,” the Post’s Eli Tan reported.
A Canadian strike would add pressure to more than 22,000 U.S. dockworkers on the West Coast who have been in a labor dispute with their port operators since July.
Canadian ports represented by the ILWU Canada collectively handle $225 billion worth of cargo each year, a portion of which is delivered to American trains and trucks, according to the Post.
The main sticking points for both U.S. and Canadian dockworkers in contract negotiations are increased pay and protection from automation.
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