B.C. port workers and employer negotiate collective agreement with federal board, members to review

globalnews.ca:

B.C. port and dock workers could soon have a deal with their employer after a joint statement Sunday night.

In a release, the International Longshore and Warehouse Union (ILWU) Canada and the BC Maritime Employers Association (BCMEA) confirmed both sides negotiated a collective agreement with the assistance of the Canada Industrial Relations Board.

The ILWU said it will present the agreement to union members as per its constitution.

The Canada Industrial Relations Board was tasked with reviewing and potentially ending the British Columbia port labour dispute as of Saturday after the second rejection of a tentative labour deal sparked mounting calls for back-to-work legislation.

Federal Labour Minister Seamus O’Regan laid out the move in a statement released Saturday, saying he has directed the CIRB to determine if a negotiated resolution in the dispute is still possible after the union said its full membership rejected the latest deal on Friday night.

O’Regan said the board is to “either impose a new collective agreement on the parties or impose final binding arbitration” if it determines a negotiated resolution is no longer possible.

“Our economy cannot face further disruption from this dispute,” O’Regan’s statement said. “Following the Incident Response Group meeting with the Prime Minister on July 19, the government is prepared for all options and eventualities.”

The convening of the government’s incident response group is typically reserved for moments of national crisis.

This is the second time the board weighed in on the months-long dispute between ILWU Canada and the BCMEA.

On July 19, the board ruled a brief return to picket lines by port workers the day before was illegal without sufficient notice, bringing an