Employers at British Columbia ports say they are going ahead with locking out more than 700 foremen across the province after strike activities from union members began.

The lockout will shut port terminals operated by members of the BC Maritime Employers Association, which are located across the B.C. coast from Victoria and Vancouver up to the Alaskan border.

The employers association said in a release on Monday that the lockout will begin on the 4:30 p.m. shift and continue until further notice but will not affect grain or cruise operations.

The association said that its B次元官网网址渄ifficult decisionB次元官网网址� to launch the lockout comes after the International Longshore and Warehouse Union Local 514 commenced B次元官网网址渋ndustry-wide strike activityB次元官网网址� at employersB次元官网网址� terminals.

B次元官网网址淚LWU Local 514B次元官网网址檚 strike action has already begun to impact B.C.B次元官网网址檚 waterfront operations and strike activity can easily escalate, including a complete withdrawal of labour without notice,B次元官网网址� the employers said in explaining its decision to lock out union members.

Local 514 said in an email response that members went to work as normal at 8 a.m. Monday, but an overtime ban was implemented and workers B次元官网网址渨ill refuse to participate in technological change as their limited job action.B次元官网网址�

A statement from the union on Sunday said employers have B次元官网网址済rossly overreactedB次元官网网址� to its limited job action, which was aimed at restarting stalled talks that have been ongoing for almost two years.

The union has also described the employersB次元官网网址� lockout threat as an B次元官网网址渁ttempt to force the federal government to intervene in the dispute.B次元官网网址�

The two sides met for a few days of mediated talks last week to try to avoid a work stoppage in the dispute that has been ongoing since the last union contract expired in March 2023.

The union issued its notice of job action last Thursday in response to a B次元官网网址渇inal offerB次元官网网址� presented by employers a day earlier, an offer the association said would give a 19.2 per cent wage increase over the four-year agreement from April 2023 to March 31, 2027.

B次元官网网址淭he BCMEAB次元官网网址檚 final offer to the union represents our best effort to settle the dispute and move forward with an agreement that recognizes the skills and efforts of 730 hardworking forepersons and their families, while also ensuring CanadaB次元官网网址檚 West Coast ports remain reliable and stable for the many customers and supply chain partners who conduct business there,B次元官网网址� the association said in a letter to Local 514 president Frank Morena issued Wednesday.

The association also said the offer would also include a 16 per cent increase in retirement benefits, additional recognized holidays and an average $21,000 lump sum for eligible employees that includes back pay since the contract expired.

B次元官网网址淒espite ILWU Local 514B次元官网网址檚 regrettable decision to destabilize CanadaB次元官网网址檚 supply chain, the BCMEAB次元官网网址檚 comprehensive offer remains open until withdrawn,B次元官网网址� the employers association said Monday.

In its response Sunday, the union said the proposal from the employers failed to address one of the key concerns for workers: a staffing requirement that addresses the implementation of port automation at facilities such as DP WorldB次元官网网址檚 Centerm container Terminal in Vancouver.

Local 514 said employers have B次元官网网址渄emanded the union agree to having technological change provisions of the Canada Labour Code that apply to all federally unionized workers waived in a new contract,B次元官网网址� a demand that Morena called B次元官网网址渓udicrous.B次元官网网址�

B次元官网网址淭he idea that our union would waive provisions of the Canada Labour Code that protect not only ILWU Local 514 but all Canadian workers is absolutely outrageous,B次元官网网址� Morena said in the statement Sunday.

Morena also said employers told the union that they would remove parts of the existing collective agreement B次元官网网址� including retroactivity on wages as well as welfare and other benefit improvements B次元官网网址� if the union did not accept its final offer presented Wednesday.

B次元官网网址淟et me be crystal clear to the BCMEA: our union will not sign any contract which includes concessions that remove existing parts of our collective agreement that our members fought long and hard for over many years,B次元官网网址� Morena said.