Canadian Freight Forwarders Request Government Help in Labor Negotiations
Unresolved negotiations between the British Columbia Maritime Employers Association (BCMEA) and the International Longshore and Warehouse Union (ILWU) threatens to stop cargo movement if an impasse continues, the Canadian International Freight Forwarders Association said in an April 22 letter to…
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Patricia Hajdu, Canada's Minister of Employment, Workforce Development and Labour. "A work stoppage at the west coast ports will cause a major disruption on supply chains," the group said. "In some cases, customers will be lost permanently due to rerouting cargo through the west coast ports in the United States. Today we are writing to underline the potentially catastrophic impacts to Canada’s trade, to our ports and to our economy of the current labour negotiations between the BCMEA/ILWU and to urge the Government of Canada to take any necessary action to keep the ports operating." The previous agreement expired over a year ago and as of April 22, "we understand that a settlement does not appear imminent," the group said.