Vancouver, British Columbia — The Canadian Federation of Independent Business (CFIB) issued a statement on the B.C. port workers’ strike last week, saying the work stoppage serves as a “case study in the urgent need to rethink Canada’s labour laws” to ensure the needs of the broader economy are met.
The organization said that, while it is relieved the port workers have accepted a new deal, it will take weeks for the backlog to be addressed, causing significant financial consequences for small businesses across Canada that “will be challenging for months to come,” wrote the CFIB in a press release.
“More than anything, this experience is a case study of the urgent need to rethink Canada’s labour laws, ensuring that the needs of the broader economy and Canada’s international reputation are considered in cases of strikes and lockouts in critical areas,” it continued.
“The government should make ports an essential service, so they remain fully operational while negotiations are happening. In addition, the government’s promise to ban replacement workers should be scrapped as it would further tilt the balance of labour laws in favour of unions.”
The Railway Association of Canada estimates it could take three to five days for supply chains to recover for each day the stoppage was in effect. The entire shutdown lasted for 13 days, meaning it could take five-and-a-half weeks for some supply chains to recover. Other experts in industries suggest it could take even longer.
The Canadian Manufacturers and Exporters estimate approximately $500 million of trade was disrupted daily through the work stoppage.
