Business groups concerned over shutdown of British Columbia ports
Joint letter to The Honourable Steven MacKinnon, P.C., M.P., Minister of Labour and Seniors and The Honourable Anita Anand, P.C., M.P., President of the Treasury Board regarding the shutdown of British Columbia ports.
Dear Ministers:
We are writing to express our urgent concern with the shutdown of British Columbia ports for a second consecutive year. This is yet another blow to Canadian workers and businesses who are counting on reliable supply chains to enable the trade that drives our economy.
Our West Coast ports handle $800 million worth of cargo every single day, accounting for approximately 25 percent of the goods flowing through the country. These ports support more than 45,000 direct jobs within the province alone, not to mention the thousands of jobs downstream that depend on the goods that flow through them.
This would substantially impact exports for Canada’s biggest producers in sectors like agriculture, forestry, mining, and manufacturing, while also affecting imports of consumer goods used by Canadian families in their everyday lives. Last year’s 13-day strike resulted in exports from British Columbia ports falling 23% in July, hitting their lowest point since the COVID-19 pandemic began.
Canadians cannot afford another labour disruption involving our critical infrastructure. Over the past year and a half, they have contended with the impacts of stoppages at both major rail networks, Vancouver grain terminals, the St. Lawrence Seaway, the Port of Montreal, and British Columbia ports the first time. Adding to the impact on business is the lack of predictability also created by disputes we saw over the summer at the Canada Border Services Agency and Air Canada’s cargo network, as well as the currently evolving situation at Canada Post.
Now, the combined impacts of labour disruptions on both coasts are rippling throughout the economy, affecting Canadian consumers, employees, and businesses. These further tarnish Canada’s global reputation as a reliable trading partner and stable place to do business.
Additionally, as our relationship with the United States continues to evolve with the conclusion of the 2024 presidential election and the upcoming review of the Canada-United States-Mexico Agreement, we cannot repeatedly jeopardize our most important bilateral economic partnership; we must strengthen resilient cross-border supply chains that enhance our shared economic security.
While we acknowledge efforts to continue with mediation, parties have not been able to come to a negotiated agreement so the federal government must take decisive action, using every tool at its disposal to resolve this dispute and limit the damage caused by this disruption. We simply cannot afford to once again put Canadian businesses at risk, which in turn puts Canadian livelihoods at risk.
Thank you for your attention to this urgent matter.
Sincerely,
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