Business groups say B.C. port stoppage will hurt companies, Canadian economy

Business groups say the work stoppage at B.C. ports is the latest in a run of supply chain disruptions affecting Canadian companies and the country’s economy.

Employers at most of the province’s ports locked out their workers Monday in a dispute involving roughly 700 unionized foremen.

The workers represented by the International Longshore and Warehouse Union Local 514 have been without a contract since March 2023.

On Friday, the Canadian Manufacturers and Exporters said the disruption would halt cargo operations across the province’s ports, which it said are vital to the flow of manufactured goods.

The Canadian Chamber of Commerce said Monday that significant labour disruptions are becoming too common and tarnish Canada’s reputation as a reliable trading partner.

The disruption comes less than a year and a half after a strike at the same port that lasted 13 days, and just a few months after a countrywide work stoppage at Canada’s two biggest railways.