On May 3 members of the International Longshore and Warehouse Union (ILWU) ratified a new agreement with the BC Maritime Employer's Association, lessening the prospect of any job action at West Coast ports.
The new agreement is for eight years, which the union says will provide stability and certainty to everyone involved, and includes a new program for maternity and paternity leave, which was one of the union's key demands.
“Making longshore workplaces more attractive as a place of employment for women is long overdue. For the first time, longshore workers will have the support they need as they raise their families. We will now be more competitive with other workplaces that women have been more likely to choose because of these kinds of benefits,” said ILWU President Tom Dufresne.
In terms of wages and benefits, the contract includes an average wage increase of 3.5 per cent every year for the eight year duration as well as a cost of living factor that begins in the sixth year of the contract.
“The agreement will deliver the kind of financial stability our members need. The employer has also agreed to pension enhancements, a benefit of great importance to ILWU members,” Dufresne said.
And while the workers have a new agreement, negotiations are ongoing for a contract that would cover the ship and dock foremen in local 514.