New tentative deal reached in B.C. port strike

The two sides involved in a labour dispute affecting about 7,400 port workers in B.C. say they’ve reached another tentative deal.

The International Longshore and Warehouse Union Canada and B.C. Maritime Employers Association issued a joint statement late Sunday saying a deal has been reached with help from the Canada Industrial Relations Board, which had been tasked with ending the dispute that had dragged on since the beginning of the month.

A joint statement from the union and the employers association offers no details on the new deal but says both sides are encouraging members to ratify the agreement.

The breakthrough in the dispute came after union members voted Friday to reject a previous deal, prompting federal Labour Minister Seamus O’Regan to intervene and direct the board to determine if a negotiated agreement was still possible.

O’Regan said that otherwise the board was to “impose final binding arbitration.”