BC Chamber of Commerce Statement on Rejection of Tentative Agreement by ILWU

In response to the decision by members of the International Longshore and Warehouse Union (ILWU) to reject the tentative agreement that would have ended the labour dispute at west coast ports, Fiona Famulak, President and CEO of the BC Chamber of Commerce, released the following statement:

“On behalf of the 100 chambers of commerce and boards of trade that we represent, the decision to reject the tentative agreement is profoundly disappointing. With over $10 billion of cargo disrupted since the labour dispute began on July 1, we need a solution that provides certainty and long-term stability at our ports so that our economy is not impacted any further or in future.

“While we support the right to collective bargaining, we are concerned that the two parties have not yet found a mutually agreeable deal. Our port infrastructure is too critical to the health and success of our businesses, workers and national economy to let this dispute escalate any further. It is imperative that they continue working diligently to find a solution.

“The rejection of a second tentative agreement demonstrates the need for the federal government to play an even stronger role in bringing this dispute to an end.”