Canadian port strike set for July 1 

The International Longshore and Warehouse Union Canada has earmarked July 1, Canada Day, for a 72-hour strike at the ports of Vancouver and Prince Rupert as contract negotiations with employers struggle to find an agreement. 

Employers in the form of the British Columbia Maritime Employers Association (BCMEA) and unions have been haggling over a new contract for months after the previous one expired at the end of March. 

Further negotiations are expected today in a last-ditch effort to avoid the strike on the west coast. The strike is expected to focus on containerships, with dry bulk vessels and cruiseships still likely to be allowed to dock. 

South of the border, the US president, Joe Biden, was forced to dispatch his labour secretary to California earlier this month to avert similar industrial action over troubled contract negotiations.