A simmering labour dispute at B.C.'s west coast ports, including Prince Rupert, has port authorities and others seeking support from Ottawa.
Prince Rupert Port Authority president and CEO Don Krusel will be join other stakeholders from the Pacific Gateway in a trip to Ottawa early next week to ensure west coast ports remain open.
"Any labour disruptions will have an immediate and profound impact on the entire Canadian economy and will have long lasting implications to the excellent reputation that the Port of Prince Rupert and Canada's Pacific Gateway has built in the international marketplace," said Krusel.
"We continue to urge all parties to find a solution at the bargaining table and prevent any stoppage of activity on the docks."
The International Longshore and Warehouse Union has taken a strike vote, but said it has no plans to issue strike notice.
The union and the B.C. Maritime Employers Association are scheduled to be back at the negotiating table on Monday.
The employers association was critical of the union for carrying out a strike vote, saying it creates more uncertainty for shippers, which damages the reputation of B.C.'s ports. The union accused the employers association of manufacturing a crisis.
B.C. Transportation Minister Shirley Bond said she was on the phone with her federal counterparts Friday morning, keeping apprised of the situation. The ports are a federal responsibility.
Bond, the MLA for Prince George-Valemount, said all the stakeholders, including the two levels of government, need to work in the short term to avoid a work stoppage, and in the long term to sort out a bargaining model that provides labour stability.
Just the possibility of labour disruption is a concern, said Bond, noting it was a key message she heard during a recent trade mission to Asia.
B.C.'s northern transportation corridor - which includes CN's $20-million container-handling facility in Prince George - has just begun emerging as a force. Containers of lumber loaded in Prince George are being shipped in increasing numbers to China.
Canfor Corp., a major lumber player in northern B.C., is monitoring the labour dispute closely.
"We'll do everything we can to minimize the impact should there be a labour disruption," said Canfor spokesman Dave Lefebvre.
The B.C. Maritime Employers Association said shippers are already diverting cargo to U.S. ports because of the threat of labour disruption.
Employers association spokesman Greg Vurdela would not reveal details of the negotiations but said they will not give up wage increases without concessions in other areas like working conditions and productivity.
In the longer term, the employers are seeking a different bargaining model - perhaps mandating arbitration -- that recognizes the federal government will legislate any dispute that ends in a lockout or strike within days, he said.
"You need certainty if you want Rupert to grow, which will bring growth in Prince George," said Vurdela.
The union accused the employers of creating uncertainty themselves by manufacturing a sky-is-falling crisis.
"Irresponsible brinkmanship on the part of the [employers association] has brought us to this point," said union president Tom Dufresne.
He said the union remains ready to enter a reasonable settlement.
