Overview

• The British Columbia Maritime Employers Association and ILWU Ship and Dock Foremen Local 514 ratified the new collective agreement on June 4, 2025, making it effective retroactively from April 1, 2023.
• Employers initiated a lockout of more than 700 Local 514 members on November 4, 2024, halting container traffic and disrupting over $1 billion in daily West Coast trade.
• On November 12, 2024, the federal government directed the Canada Industrial Relations Board to resume port operations and move talks into binding arbitration.
• Key provisions in the agreement address port automation concerns and establish staffing level guidelines to stabilize terminal workflows.
• Union and employer leaders have committed to jointly implementing the pact’s terms and restoring consistent cargo throughput across British Columbia terminals.