18.56°C Vancouver

Nov 20, 2024 5:34 PM - The Canadian Press

B.C. port union challenges constitutionality of labour minister's back-to-work order

Share On
b-c-port-union-challenges-constitutionality-of-labour-ministers-back-to-work-order
The union says these rights are protecting by the Charter of Rights and Freedoms.(Photo: The Canadian Press)

The union representing port supervisors in British Columbia is formally challenging the legal and constitutional authority of the federal labour minister to order them back to work.

In a legal document dated Tuesday, International Longshore and Warehouse Union Local 514 says it's questioning whether the order issued by Labour Minister Steven MacKinnon last week violates the right to collective bargaining and the right to strike.

The union says these rights are protecting by the Charter of Rights and Freedoms.

It says the questions will be considered by a panel of the Canada Industrial Relations Board on Dec. 9 and 10.

This isn't the only challenge the federal government is facing on this issue, as the union representing port workers in Montreal also announced last week it intended to challenge the federal government.

MacKinnon stepped in on Nov. 12 to get ports in both B.C. and Montreal moving again after employers locked workers out.

His order directed the board to order all operations to resume and move both sets of talks to binding arbitration.

Latest news

alberta-byelection-called-for-aug-18-giving-poilievre-path-to-house
AlbertaJun 30, 2025

Alberta byelection called for Aug. 18, giving Poilievre path to House

Prime Minister Mark Carney has called a byelection for the riding of Battle River — Crowfoot in Alberta for Aug. 18. Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre is expected to run in the riding after losing his Ottawa-area seat in the April to Liberal Bruce Fanjoy. Former Conservative MP Damien Kurek resigned the seat earlier this month to clear the way for Poilievre to run after winning the seat with 82 per cent of the vote.
CanadaJun 30, 2025

Teen arrested after unprovoked machete attack

A 15-year-old boy in Winnipeg is accused of attacking a 68-year-old man with a machete. Police say the assault on Friday night was random and happened while the man was walking past a Salvation Army on Henry Avenue. He was taken to hospital and police say he will require surgery. They say witnesses detained the boy until police arrived, and that officers recovered two machetes during the arrest.
alberta-judge-grants-injunction-blocking-a-transgender-health-care-bill
AlbertaJun 30, 2025

Alberta judge grants injunction blocking a transgender health-care bill

An Alberta judge has put on hold a provincial law that bans doctors from providing gender-affirming care to youth. Justice Allison Kuntz, in a written judgment, has issued a temporary injunction against the law, saying it raises serious issues that need to be hashed out in court. Kuntz says a temporary stop to the law is needed to prevent what she calls ``irreparable harm'' coming to young patients while the issue is debated. The law, passed late last year but not fully in effect, would have prevented doctors from providing treatment such as puberty blockers and hormone therapy to th
b-c-minister-bowinn-ma-tells-of-frightening-incident-at-her-constituency-office
BCJun 27, 2025

B.C. minister Bowinn Ma tells of 'frightening' incident at her constituency office

British Columbia's Infrastructure Minister Bowinn Ma says there was a "frightening" security incident at her constituency office in North Vancouver early Friday. Ma says in a statement that all meetings and appointments at the office have been cancelled for the day. Her statement says that thankfully, nobody was injured, and she appreciates the concern expressed by community members. Ma doesn't describe the incident and says due to an active police investigation, she won't be able to provide more details about what happened. She says she wants to thank the officers who responded to the inciden
trump-terminating-trade-talks-with-canada-over-digital-tax
WorldJun 27, 2025

Trump 'terminating' trade talks with Canada over digital tax

U-S President Donald Trump says he is immediately ending all trade talks with Canada. The sudden termination is over Canada's plan to go ahead with its digital services tax on big U-S tech companies that do business here. The tax is set to take effect Monday but would be retroactive for the past three years, leaving U-S companies with atwo-billion-dollar U-S bill due at the end of the month. Trump says Washington will notify Canada about new tariff rates within the next week.

Related News