Lockout of ship and dock foremen stops British Columbia ports
Lockout of ship and dock foremen stops British Columbia ports. The disruption ran from 2024-11-04 (4 November 2024) to 2024-11-14 (14 November 2024), 11 days, affecting Vancouver (CA), Prince Rupert. Vancouver (CA) averaged 5.1 calls per day during the event window against an expected 6.6 (-22.8%). Vancouver (CA) averaged 0.1 calls per day during the event window against an expected 1.0 (-0.9). Prince Rupert averaged 1.0 calls per day during the event window against an expected 1.3 (-0.3).
Key facts
- Started
- 2024-11-04 (4 November 2024)
- Ended
- 2024-11-14 (14 November 2024)
- Status
- ended
- Type
- Labour action
- Severity
- 3 Significant
- Scope
- regional
- Chokepoints
- None
- Ports
- Vancouver (CA), Prince Rupert
- Lanes
- None
- Countries
- Canada
- Confidence
- high: The lockout start and the resumption of operations are set out in the employers' association's own bargaining updates, and the ministerial direction and labour board order are reported by CBC News and a trade outlet.
- First reported
- 2024-11-04 (4 November 2024)
- Severity basis: Port closure of seven days or more; container terminals across British Columbia were shut by the lockout from 2024-11-04 until operations resumed on 2024-11-14.
What happened
On 2024-11-04 (4 November 2024) the British Columbia Maritime Employers Association locked out more than 700 ship and dock foremen of International Longshore and Warehouse Union Local 514 at terminals across British Columbia, hours after the union began industry wide strike activity at 08:00. The lockout began on the 16:30 shift and did not apply to grain or cruise operations. Container work at Vancouver and Prince Rupert stopped. Talks broke off on 2024-11-09. On 2024-11-12 (12 November 2024) the federal labour minister directed the Canada Industrial Relations Board to order operations to resume and to impose binding arbitration. The board issued its order on 2024-11-13 and terminals restarted on 2024-11-14, with dispatching on the day shift and operations from 16:30.
Measured effect
Port calls, Vancouver (CA)
- Baseline (expected)
- 6.6 calls per day
- Observed
- 5.1 calls per day
- Change
- -1.5 (-22.8%)
- Standardised score
- -0.6
- Event window
- 2024-11-04 to 2024-11-14 (11 days)
- Baseline window
- 2024-09-02 to 2024-10-27 (56 valid days)
- Method
- wfm-effect-1.0
- Computed
- 2026-09-16 (16 September 2026), data revision 1:ec17ab3b4b9a
Source: IMF PortWatch (portwatch.imf.org), International Monetary Fund, using UN Global Platform AIS data. Statistics derived by World Freight Monitor. Terms.
This is a measured change in public data during the event window, compared with a baseline before it. It shows timing, not cause. We describe an event as causing a change only when an official source says so.
Container ship port calls, Vancouver (CA)
- Baseline (expected)
- 1.0 calls per day
- Observed
- 0.1 calls per day
- Change
- -0.9 (percent omitted, baseline too small)
- Standardised score
- -0.9
- Event window
- 2024-11-04 to 2024-11-14 (11 days)
- Baseline window
- 2024-09-02 to 2024-10-27 (56 valid days)
- Method
- wfm-effect-1.0
- Computed
- 2026-09-16 (16 September 2026), data revision 1:336fbd6490d7
Source: IMF PortWatch (portwatch.imf.org), International Monetary Fund, using UN Global Platform AIS data. Statistics derived by World Freight Monitor. Terms.
This is a measured change in public data during the event window, compared with a baseline before it. It shows timing, not cause. We describe an event as causing a change only when an official source says so.
Port calls, Prince Rupert
- Baseline (expected)
- 1.3 calls per day
- Observed
- 1.0 calls per day
- Change
- -0.3 (percent omitted, baseline too small)
- Standardised score
- -0.3
- Event window
- 2024-11-04 to 2024-11-14 (11 days)
- Baseline window
- 2024-09-02 to 2024-10-27 (56 valid days)
- Method
- wfm-effect-1.0
- Computed
- 2026-09-16 (16 September 2026), data revision 1:d14707f7cf62
Source: IMF PortWatch (portwatch.imf.org), International Monetary Fund, using UN Global Platform AIS data. Statistics derived by World Freight Monitor. Terms.
This is a measured change in public data during the event window, compared with a baseline before it. It shows timing, not cause. We describe an event as causing a change only when an official source says so.
Timeline
- Local 514 begins industry wide strike activity at about 08:00, and the employers' association locks out foremen and other Local 514 members from the 16:30 shift, excluding grain and cruise work. [s1] [s3]
- Talks break off after the employers' association reports no progress at the bargaining table, leaving terminals shut. [s5]
- The federal labour minister directs the Canada Industrial Relations Board to order that operations at the ports resume and to impose final and binding arbitration, and extends the existing collective agreements. [s5] [s6]
- The labour board orders the employers' association and its members to resume operations on 2024-11-14 and to continue them until it makes a final determination. [s2]
- Operations restart, with dispatching on the day shift and maintenance and terminal operations from the 16:30 shift. The board schedules a hearing for 2024-11-18 on questions raised about the ministerial direction. [s2] [s4]
Cause
The employers' association said it locked out Local 514 members in response to the union's strike notice and strike activity, to allow a safe and orderly wind down of operations after nearly two years of bargaining for a new agreement. The union was pressing its demands on pay and on terminal automation. Attributed by: British Columbia Maritime Employers Association. [s1] [s3]
Resolution
2024-11-14 (14 November 2024): The federal labour minister directed the Canada Industrial Relations Board to end the work stoppage and impose binding arbitration. The board ordered operations to resume, and terminals restarted on 2024-11-14 under extended terms of the previous agreement. [s2] [s4] [s5]
Corrections
No corrections to this record as of 2026-09-16 (16 September 2026).
Sources
- [s1] British Columbia Maritime Employers Association, Local 514 Bargaining Update - ILWU Local 514 Strike Activity Commences, published 2024-11-04 (4 November 2024), accessed 2026-09-15. Archived copy. (official)
- [s2] British Columbia Maritime Employers Association, Local 514 Bargaining Update - Resumption of Operations - November 14, published 2024-11-13 (13 November 2024), accessed 2026-09-15. Archived copy. (official)
- [s3] CBC News, B.C. port employers launch lockout at terminals over contract dispute with foremen, published 2024-11-04 (4 November 2024), accessed 2026-09-15. Archived copy. (press)
- [s4] CBC News, B.C. port operations to resume after government orders end to lockout, published 2024-11-14 (14 November 2024), accessed 2026-09-15. Archived copy. (press)
- [s5] CBC News, Labour minister sends ports dispute to binding arbitration, orders end to lockouts, published 2024-11-12 (12 November 2024), accessed 2026-09-15. Archived copy. (press)
- [s6] The Maritime Executive, Canada Orders Binding Arbitration to Reopen BC and Montreal Ports, published 2024-11-12 (12 November 2024), accessed 2026-09-15. Archived copy. (press)