Alberta’s Minister of Transportation, Devin Dreeshen, has requested that federal parliament be recalled from summer break in order to address the west coast dock workers strike.
About 7,400 port workers, all members of British Columbia’s International Longshore and Warehouse Union (ILWU), voted overwhelmingly in support of a strike two weeks ago — and over last weekend, they officially went on strike.
Dreeshen said the strike will devastate both Alberta’s and Canada’s economy.
“Every day that goes by, about $500 million dollars worth of cargo flows through west coast ports,” he said.
The strike impacts more than 30 ports, including Canada’s largest port, the Port of Vancouver. Over $300 billion (CAD) worth of goods travel through Canada’s West Coast ports – accounting for about 16% of Canada’s internationally traded goods.
Dreeshen acknowledged that Federal Minister of Labour Relations, Seamus O’Regan, has been in Vancouver for a few days, where he’s talking with both sides of the dispute. Furthermore, there are federal mediators trying to help both the ILWU and the Maritime Employers Association come to an agreement.
But Dreeshen said that the Trudeau Liberals, even with a minority government, have previously introduced back-to-work legislation when Montreal port workers went on strike.
Dreeshen further lamented the fact that the massive, daily economic losses could be just the tip of the iceberg, as even a short-term strike impacts Canada’s reputation. He expressed concern that countries and companies might not view Canada as a reliable shipper and choose to source products elsewhere.
He also took a shot at the ILWU’s dockworkers who are looking for higher pay and greater job security amid automation fears.
“Automation especially on ports increases productivity,” Dreeshen said.
“When you look at ports around the world, there’s massive automation and investments into improving the efficiency of ports.”
He added, “And when you look at the Vancouver Port ranking, it is one of the worst in the world when it comes to productivity.”
The World Bank Container Port Performance Index, a comparative measure of port efficiency, recently ranked Vancouver at number 347 out of 348, and dead last among ports of similar size.
