The union for locked-out port workers in British Columbia says the BC Maritime Employers Association cut off talks in less than an hour Saturday, refusing to budge on a final offer that the union has so far rejected.

A statement from the International Longshore and Warehouse Union Ship & Dock Foremen Local 514 says a meeting with the Federal Mediation and Conciliation Service ended with the employers B次元官网网址渞efusing to bargainB次元官网网址� and trying to B次元官网网址渋mpose significant concessionsB次元官网网址� on the union.

ILWU Local 514 President Frank Morena says the employers are using B次元官网网址渃onfrontational tacticsB次元官网网址� to avoid negotiating a new collective agreement, in order to force the federal government to intervene.

Morena says union negotiators were planning to bargain late into Saturday evening and through the weekend with the help of a federal mediator, but he says the employers association ended the talks after meeting with the mediator for just 12 minutes.

He says the concessions sought by port employers are B次元官网网址渋nflammatory and unacceptableB次元官网网址� and says shipping firms and retailers are all waiting for the lockout to end.

A statement from the employers association issued Saturday after talks broke down says there was B次元官网网址渘o progress made B次元官网网址� and no further meetings are scheduled.B次元官网网址�