Grain shipments are not expected to be impacted amid another Port of Vancouver labour dispute.
The British Columbia Maritime Employers Association (BCMEA) said in a statement Friday it plans to lock out approximately 700 port foremen, members of the International Longshore and Warehouse Union Local 514, beginning Monday at 8 am PT. With the union having already issued a 72-hour strike notice, the BCMEA said described its lockout plan as a “defensive action.”
Although the lockout will not go ahead if the union withdraws its strike notice, the dispute threatens to shut down all cargo operations of BCMEA member companies. However, it will not affect longshoring operations on grain vessels or cruise operations, the BCMEA statement said.
A port foreman manages the loading and unloading of vessels, and ensures the terminal is prepared for vessels, among other duties.
A four-day strike by about 650 Port of Vancouver grain terminal workers in September came right in the middle of the busy Prairie harvest season, with the Grain Growers of Canada estimating about $35 million in export losses per day.
Last year’s Port of Vancouver strike saw over 7,400 striking workers freezing up to $10 billion of trade at the country’s busiest port.
In 2023, the port handled 52% of all grain produced in Canada.
