Longshore workers say a lockout has begun after overnight negotiations between their union and the association representing port employers failed to reach a deal before the 8 a.m. PT lockout deadline.
The latest round of negotiations got underway Wednesday, less than 24 hours before the lockout notice issued by the B.C. Maritime Employers Association (BCMEA) was due to take effect.
Talks continued through the night but without a deal by 8 a.m., the 6,500 members of the International Longshore and Warehouse Union (ILWU) found themselves locked out at all B.C. port operations except cruise ship or grain terminals...
The BCMEA has said disruption at B.C.'s ports could cost the Canadian economy about $5 billion a day. The Chamber of Shipping of B.C., which represents the ships that move cargo in and out of Canada, said recovery after a lockout ends is also costly.
"We estimate it takes a month to recover from every week lost due to labour disruptions, so it's huge on the entire Canadian economy," said chamber president Robert Lewis-Manning, speaking over the phone after the lockout began...
This was excerpted from the 30 May 2019 edition of CBC News.