Canadian Labour Minister Orders Resumption of Port Operations in B.C. and Montreal

12 Nov Canadian Labour Minister Orders Resumption of Port Operations in B.C. and Montreal

OTTAWA – Labour Minister Steven MacKinnon announced his intervention to end ongoing work stoppages at the ports of British Columbia and Montreal, stating that negotiations have reached an impasse. To resolve the situation, he has directed the Canada Industrial Relations Board to mandate the resumption of all port operations and move the negotiations to binding arbitration.

Minister MacKinnon emphasized that the work stoppages are significantly affecting supply chains, jeopardizing thousands of jobs, and impacting Canada’s standing as a reliable trading partner. His intervention follows recent government action in August to resolve disruptions at Canada’s main railways.

Minister MacKinnon expressed his expectation that full operations at the ports could be restored within days.