The ongoing strike by the International Longshore and Warehouse Union (ILWU) Canada, which has entered its second week, is causing changes in port calls. Some vessels are now being redirected from Vancouver to Seattle-Tacoma. There are concerns about potential cargo backlogs near the ports of Vancouver and Seattle-Tacoma. The Vancouver Fraser Port Authority reports there are currently 14 container ships anchored or offshore in Vancouver.
PORT CHANGES & BACKLOG CONCERNS
Industry sources disclosed that around six container ships originally scheduled to dock in Vancouver were redirected to Seattle-Tacoma as of Monday. The final decision on where the vessels will anchor while awaiting the resumption of cargo handling in Vancouver rests with the ocean carriers.
Typically, vessel rotations in the North American Pacific Northwest involve Vancouver as the first port of call before proceeding to Seattle-Tacoma. Consequently, containers destined for Vancouver are loaded on the top rows of the ships. As a result of the U.S. ILWU’s boycott of Canadian-destined cargo in support of ILWU Canada, longshoremen in Seattle and Tacoma are prioritizing the removal of containers bound for Canada before accessing containers bound for the United States. After handling the US-bound containers, they then reload the Vancouver containers back onto the vessels.
ONGOING NEGOTIATIONS
On Monday, there were no face-to-face talks between ILWU Canada and the British Columbia Maritime Employers Association (BCMEA). However, both parties continue to engage with federal mediators in the negotiation process. The labor strike initiated by ILWU Canada on July 1 primarily revolves around wages and the union’s demand to expand its jurisdiction over maintenance work.
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