Huge volumes of Canadian timber, pulp, and paper exports have been halted due to lingering labour disputes, bringing Canada’s Pacific ports to a standstill less than 11 weeks before Christmas.
The stoppage, which started on Monday, involves limited strike action by the British Columbian and Montreal branches of the International Longshore and Warehouse Union. Whilst bulk grain shipments are exempt from the action, canola oil and forestry products are not covered by that federal labour code provision and are not being loaded onto ships at Pacific ports.
Federal Labor Minister Steven MacKinnon has said both sides are responsible for reaching an agreement. On Thursday, he criticized the lack of apparent progress between the union and employers and a smaller shutdown affecting some container traffic at the Port of Montreal.
“Both sets of talks are progressing at an insufficient pace, indicating a concerning absence of urgency from the parties involved,” said Minister MacKinnon in a post on social media platform X.
Already, the Forest Products Association of Canada has called for federal government intervention. Wood, pulp, paper and byproduct shipments by the organization’s members comprise 17% of Vancouver’s container exports and 14% of Montreal’s container units.
- To learn more about the strike, click here for updated coverage.
