The 13-day longshore strike that hit the Western Canadian ports of Vancouver and Prince Rupert has ended after the International Longshore and Warehouse Union (ILWU) Canada and waterfront employers reached a deal on a tentative four-year contract, a source close to the matter told the Journal of Commerce Thursday.
The end of the strikes comes less than two days after Canada’s Minister of Labour ordered the federal mediator overseeing negotiations between the union and the British Columbia Maritime Employers Association to provide recommendations for a settlement.
An official at BCMEA confirmed the deal and the end of the strike, which began July 1.
The strike caused multiple ships to divert from Western Canada to Seattle and Tacoma, while creating a vessel backlog off Vancouver and Prince Rupert. There were 14 container ships at anchor or offshore at the Port of Vancouver Wednesday, according to the port’s website.