On Sunday, July 7, the Canada Industrial Relations Board (CIRB), announced that the strike vote taken by the union representing ship and dock foreman at the port of BC is not legal.

The Local 514 of the BC Maritime Employers Association (BCMEA) union served a strike notice on Friday, which was to begin on Monday, July 8, at 4:30 PM.

But CIRB said in a statement on Sunday that it had determined the union had not bargained “in good faith.”  CIRB also said that only of the BCMEA’s companies was invited to vote on the strike.  As a result, CIRB instructed the union to rescind its strike notice.

The BCMEA issue a media release indicating that it intends to lock out union members on Tuesday, July 9, at 4:30 pm (PT).

The BCMEA says that while a strike will shut down cargo operations, it will not “interrupt longshoring operations grain vessels.”