Watershed deal for ILWU longshore workers a boost for women

http://www.itfglobal.org/news-online/index.cfm/newsdetail/5988

20/05/2011

An eight-year, family-friendly pay and conditions deal for longshore workers at Canada’s Pacific coastal ports is expected to herald a new era of labour stability and encourage more women to stay in the job.

The agreement, between the ITF-affiliated International Longshore and Warehouse Union (ILWU) Canada and the British Columbia Maritime Employers’ Association boosts maternity, paternity and pensions benefits.

“For the first time, longshore workers will have the support they need to raise their families” said Tom Dufresne, ILWU Canada president.  Making the job more attractive to women was “long overdue”, and would make them more likely to choose to work in and stay in the industry. The deal, which took more than sixteen months to clinch, showed “collective bargaining is alive and working well at Pacific Gateway ports,” he added.

Under the package, workers will get a 3.5 per cent pay rise each year, linked to the cost-of-living from year six to protect against inflation. Tom Dufresne said the eight-year deal should bring stability for both his members and employers. “The interests of ILWU Canada members are aligned with the employers when it comes to having an agreement that delivers reliability and predictability in the workplace. This is a win-win agreement.”

Negotiations were sometimes acrimonious. According to an independent Canadian labour tribunal, they were often “infected” by a fierce employer lobbying campaign aimed at curtailing Canadian dockers’ rights to free collective bargaining through changes to the federal labour laws.

Frank Leys, ITF dockers’ section secretary, said: “This agreement proves that collective bargaining is the way in which the interests of all parties can be taken into account, but also proves that in a largely male-dominated industry, unions fight for all workers.”  

 ILWU local 514 ship and dock foremen are still without an agreement.