Union gives notice of renewed B.C. port strike, employers say

British Columbia port employers say the longshore workers union has given 72-hour notice of renewed strike action across the province starting on Saturday morning.

The British Columbia Maritime Employers Association says resuming strike action that had halted cargo movement for 13 days at the start of the month is "unnecessary and reckless."

Members of the International Longshore and Warehouse Union Canada had returned to picket lines on Tuesday afternoon after the union rejected a tentative mediated deal.

That prompted federal Labour Minister Seamus O'Regan to declare the renewed strike action illegal, citing a Canada Industrial Relations Board ruling that the union had not given the required 72-hour notice.

The Canada Industrial Relations Board (CIRB) - an independent body created to keep industrial peace - this morning ruled that the ILWU Canada cease and desist from participating in any strike action because the union did not provide 72 hours notice.

This strike is illegal. pic.twitter.com/y8NuxjDmR8

— Seamus O'Regan Jr (@SeamusORegan) July 19, 2023

The employers say the union's notice now means the strike will officially resume around 9 a.m. Saturday. 

They say the union was presented with a "fair and balanced deal" and that renewal of the strike means the union is "doubling down on holding the Canadian economy hostage."