GCCA has been in regular communication with the Ministry of Transport and the Ministry of Agriculture and Agri-Food during the course of the port strike in British Columbia to ensure that the impacts on members were known. In addition, GCCA joined with industry allies in a joint letter to Prime Minister Trudeau recommending that accommodations be extended to the movement of all agricultural products, including perishable products, during labor disputes. The letter asked that the Government of Canada pursue all avenues within its authority to help bring the negotiations to a rapid and successful conclusion.
On July 13th, a tentative agreement was announced between the parties, but much drama ensured after the announcement. The International Longshore and Warehouse Union (ILWU) appeared to backtrack on agreement to the federally-mediated deal but ultimately recommended that union members vote to approve the deal. However, the result of the union vote on July 28th was to reject the agreement. Then, on July 31stanother tentative agreement was announced. GCCA will continue to engage with the Canadian government as the process moves forward. As a follow-up to this disruption, GCCA is including a recommendation in its 2024 House of Commons Finance Committee pre-budget submission that the government put in place a framework to ensure that food and other perishable products can still move forward through ports and supply chains in the event of work stoppages or emergencies.
