OTTAWA
Labour Minister Steven MacKinnon says he is intervening to end the work stoppages at ports in both British Columbia and Montreal
He says the negotiations have reached an impasse and he is directing the Canada Industrial Relations Board to order the resumption of all operations at the ports and move the talks to binding arbitration
He says the work stoppages at the ports of British Columbia and the Port of Montreal are significantly impacting supply chains, thousands of jobs, and Canada’s reputation as a reliable trading partner
Business groups had been calling for government intervention to get the flow of goods moving again
The minister’s move to end the stoppages comes after the government stepped in to end halted operations at Canada’s two main railways in August
MacKinnon says he hopes operations can be restored in a matter of days
