July 13, 2023 | Circular No. 11555
Dear Member,
Further to CL 11553 sent earlier today, you will find below further updates regarding the end of the west coast longshore strike:
Negotiations and Agreement
- According to information provided by Labour Canada during this afternoon’s call with Transport Canada, the four-year agreement that the BCMEA and the ILWU agreed to in principle earlier today must now be brought back to the ILWU’s council, which will set up a formal ratification process.
- Although it is unclear exactly how long this process will take, the ILWU has agreed to resume operations during the intervening period, with maintenance and line workers returning to their shifts as of 4:30 PM (PST) today and full gangs returning first thing tomorrow morning.
Resumption of Operations
- The Port of Vancouver is working with shipping lines, rail companies and marine terminals to implement a recovery plan that will be aimed at balancing the needs of all sectors, particularly as relates to anchorage allocation. Current anchorage capacity is at 44 percent for VFPA anchorages and 73 percent for SGI anchorages, with four container ships currently at anchor, and another ten awaiting entry to the port’s jurisdiction. The port’s most recent operational update can be found HERE.
- Although Transport Canada is exploring the possibility of developing a structured recovery framework that prioritizes cargo according to certain pre-established categories over the longer term, the emphasis over the next 48 hours will be on resuming operations according to the needs and constraints of the key stakeholders involved (railways, ports, terminals and ships).
We will provide additional news and information after tomorrow’s daily call with Transport Canada.
Sincerely,
Karen Kancens
Vice President