Workers at the ports of British Columbia returned to picketing after union leaders rejected a tentative agreement to end the strike yesterday.
The agreement was proposed by a mediator after the federal Minister of Labour intervened in an attempt to end the labor action. It was ratified by the employers on July 13th.
In a statement, the International Longshore and Warehouse Union (ILWU) Canada informed that the agreement was rejected, without indicating if it was ever sent to the members for a vote.
"The ILWU Canada Longshore Caucus does not believe the recommendations have the capacity to protect our jobs now or in the future," they said in a press release.
The four-year term of the collective agreement was "too long," and the demands for cost-of-living were not met, states the statement as an explanation for the decision.
Meanwhile, the British Columbia Maritime Employers Association, in its own statement, criticized the union's decision, stating that it simultaneously rejects a fair deal for workers and jeopardizes the Canadian economy.
Transport Minister Omar Alghabra described the failure of the agreement and the resumption of the strike by workers at the ports of British Columbia as disappointing.
The failed agreement had put an end to a 13-day labor strike during which 7,400 port workers withdrew from work, preventing billions of dollars' worth of goods from entering and leaving the ports.