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| ILWU 505 members rallied on the waterfront near Kwinitsa Station on Saturday (image from ILWU FB) |
The Prince Rupert workers and their supporters gathered Saturday at the Waterfront gate to the rail yard by Kwinitsa station Museum, that following a march down the hill from First Avenue West.
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| The ILWU flag flying on the Prince Rupert waterfront at the waterfront road access near Kwinitsa (image from ILWU FB) |
The weekend of rallies arrived as the two sides of the labour dispute made a return to the bargaining table.
Assisted by a Federal mediator, the discussions resumed on Saturday the first time that the two sides sat down since July 3rd.
The resumption of the talks was followed by a statement from the representatives of the employer the BCMEA, which outlined some of the themes for the talks.
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Of note from the weekend negotiations was a proposal from the BCMEA that a sub-committee, chaired by an arbitrator be put together to explore the issue of maintenance and issues contracting out.
That element of the discussions has been one of the key areas identified by both sides as the largest impediment towards a settlement.
Should that proposal prove to be an acceptable option, it may clear the way to knock down the rest of the outstanding issues that would bring the strike to an end.
The Federal government which is providing for the mediation process, is also hearing from stakeholders across the nation. The are expressing growing concerns over the impact from the strike and disruption of goods on the Canadian economy, as well as the reputation for the nation towards reliability as a transportation hub.
You can review the latest notes from the BC Ports Strike through our archive page here.
Still no comment from the PRPA?
ReplyDeleteNo surprise there, PRPA will have been advised to avoid any appearance of exerting pressure on the employers or otherwise appearing to be interfering with contract negotiations. They'll stay at arms length.
DeleteAdvised by who? That’s just about the most cowardly thing any organization in their position could do. Cowering in the corner instead of standing up for their own community
DeleteThere are legal issues involved here. I'll just leave it at that.
DeleteWeak sauce. Weak tea.
DeleteI'm not going to spell it out for you more than I already have.
DeleteWe all see what you’re saying. You’re a PRPA employee who has been advised by your legal counsel not to publicly say anything.
DeleteThere’s no law against speaking in favour of your own community and its members reaching a fair negotiated deal.
You assume too much. I'm not a PRPA employee. I am simply saying that there are legal and business reasons for the PRPA not to take a side. Expecting otherwise is unrealistic.
DeleteAnd it's the ILWU that has gone on strike to get what it considers to be a "fair" deal. The "community" is not on strike; nor is it at the bargaining table.