Statement from FETCO on Port Shutdowns

OTTAWA, ON, Nov. 11, 2024 /CNW/ – Today, FETCO is urging the Minister of Labour, the Honourable Steven MacKinnon, to take the extraordinary, but necessary, step to intervene in the current collective bargaining disputes occurring at Port of Montreal and at the ports along the British Columbia coastline, including Canada’s largest port in Vancouver. Simultaneous work stoppages at these vital gateways pose a serious threat to the Canadian economy from coast-to-coast-to-coast. Our status as a trading nation is at imminent risk. These work stoppages have affected the entire supply chain and no Canadian will go unaffected.


Logo for FETCO (CNW Group/FETCO)

FETCO and its members unequivocally support the right to collective bargaining and the right to strike or lockout – rights that are protected under Canadian law. However, it is clear that these rights are not absolute. Indeed, the case law and other authorities confirm that the rights to strike and lockout can be restricted – and even prohibited – in appropriate circumstances.

For this reason, FETCO is urging the Minister to immediately refer these disputes to binding arbitration, with a prohibition on the right to strike or lockout, returning these ports to full operation. The Minister possesses broad powers to take these and other actions to secure industrial peace and resolve industrial disputes. There is no legislation or case law prohibiting the Minister from intervening in this manner, either via back-to-work legislation or a Section 107 referral under the Canada Labour Code.

We do not suggest this course of action lightly. Employers, like their union counterparts, always prefer to settle collective agreements at the bargaining table. Sadly, in both current cases, collective bargaining has broken down and resolution appears impossible. For these reasons, we urge the Minister of Labour to assert his authority and act immediately.

About FETCO
FETCO is an employers’ association, representing 38 major federally regulated organizations. FETCO members collectively employ over 500,000 Canadian workers, mostly in unionized organizations, and all are regulated under the Canada Labour Code. FETCO advocates on behalf of our member employers on the development of sound policy in the labour realm.

 www.fetco.ca

SOURCE FETCO