The provincewide lockout against a union of more than 700 foremen at all British Columbia ports is expected to begin at 8 a.m.

The BC Maritime Employers Association has said the lockout is meant to B次元官网网址渇acilitate a safe and orderly wind-down of operationsB次元官网网址� in light of B次元官网网址渆scalating and unpredictable strike action.B次元官网网址�

Last week, it said the move was being done B次元官网网址渄efensivelyB次元官网网址� after International Longshore and Warehouse Union Local 514 had issued a 72-hour strike notice for job action, which also starts at 8 a.m.

The union has accused the association as B次元官网网址渁cting recklesslyB次元官网网址� by threatening the industry-wide lockout, saying it was an 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 employers association said in a statement Sunday that the final offer B次元官网网址� which was issued to the unionB次元官网网址檚 president on Wednesday B次元官网网址� remained open and that if it were accepted by the union, it would avoid B次元官网网址渦nnecessary strike action.B次元官网网址�

Union president Frank Morena said in a news release Sunday that the employers had threatened to remove existing parts of the collective agreement if the union did not accept its final offer.

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.