Waterfront labour peace secured with ratification results

The terms of the deal were hammered out just before Valentine's Day, but it took almost one month more before the ratification process was complete.

But with an announcement today of the successful result of that vote, British Columbia's waterfront will have labour peace for the next 365 days or so.

Local 514 of the International Longshore and Warehouse Union had been without a contract since March of 2007 and had recently increased the pressure with a strike vote that approved strike action back in January, that threat had the potential to shut down the entire British Columbia port system as other locals of the ILWU as well as other port related unions would have refused to cross any picket lines set up.

With that prospect in place, the ILWU and the B.C. Maritime Employers Association continued on with the negotiations and finally that tentative agreement was reached last month.

The entire process will begin anew in March of 2010 when this agreement comes to a conclusion.

Globe and Mail-- B.C. ports workers, employers ratify collective agreement

Canadian Press-- B.C. port workers, employers ratify collective agreement through March 2010