Ottawa's unwillingness to wait out damaging strikes makes them more likely: government report

The authors concluded that governments' willingness to step in has led to less serious 'surface bargaining,' ultimately making it harder for real settlements to be reached

OTTAWA — An economically damaging strike, like the one at B.C. ports that sidelined $10 billion in trade last summer, could easily happen again because of structural issues created when unions and employers know that Ottawa will likely step in to end a disruption, according to a new government-commissioned report.

The strike in the first two weeks of July 2023 ground Pacific imports and exports to a standstill: roughly one-quarter of the country’s trade flows through B.C. docks. Officially, the strike lasted 13 days, but after union leadership rejected an initial settlement, it appeared workers could go back on the picket line until a federally appointed mediator reached a deal that was ratified by both sides in early August.