Small businesses calling on Feds to end work stoppage at B.C. ports

Canadian small businesses are calling on the federal government to “immediately intervene” to end the work stoppage at B.C. ports that started Monday.

Tuesday was the first full day of the work stoppage at the ports after the B.C. Maritime Employers Association locked out some 700 foremen starting Monday evening to “facilitate a safe and orderly window of operations” in light of “escalating and unpredictable strike action.”

In a release Monday, the Canadian Federation of Independent Business (CFIB) said they are hoping the disruption at B.C. ports doesn’t turn into a repeat of last year’s strike that went on for nearly two weeks.

“Just last year, the union paralyzed all B.C. ports, including Canada’s biggest port, for 13 days, affecting small businesses, their customers and trade partners, and leaving them to deal with the strike’s devastating consequences for months,” the federation said in its statement.

“Small businesses cannot bear the cost of another long strike or lockout.”

The BC Director with CFIB Jairo Yunis told 1130 NewsRadio that last year’s strike saw businesses running out of their inventory without knowing when they would be able to restock.

“The uncertainty is not good for businesses, and businesses need to know that the federal government has their backs and that they’re able to provide predictability uncertainty with our supply chain,” he said.

The CFIB says the work stoppage comes at the same time as longshoremen at the Port of Montreal are also on strike but the economy needs to be protected.

“How many work stoppages like this one will it take for the government to realize that its current approach to labour relations is undermining the economy, Canada’s reputation and hurting small businesses and their employees?…CFIB continues to call on (the) government to make ports an essential service, so they remain operational at all times.”

Yunis says last year’s strike damaged Canada’s reputation internationally as well.

“Ports are a critical part of Canada’s supply infrastructure. We’ve seen the negative impacts and the inflationary impacts of supply chain disruption over the past few years,” he said.

“We’re asking the federal government to act now, swiftly and quickly before businesses start depleting more of their inventory.”

Ottawa promised to make some changes after last year’s strike with then Labour Minister Seamus O’Regan saying it was incumbent on him to act on some recommendations. The current Minister’s officer didn’t give 1130 NewsRadio a progress update on that work.

But last week in a post to social media, Labour Minister Steven Mackinnon said it’s the responsibility of the parties involved to come to an agreement.