Ottawa Urged to Look Outside Borders for Supply Chain Solutions

The Chamber of Marine Commerce (CMC) is recommending the federal government look to other jurisdictions to help solve this country’s seemingly chronic supply chain labour woes. 

Specifically, the CMC cited the U.S. emergency board mechanism, which delays a strike, lockout or other stoppage, generally for 60 days. The emergency board has 30 days to issue a report, and generally, emergency boards provide recommendations for settlement of a dispute. After the emergency board reports to the president, the parties to the dispute have another 30-day cooling off period to consider the recommendations of the emergency board and to reach an agreement.  

If no agreement is reached at the end of the cooling off period, then the parties may engage in strikes, lockouts or other actions. The approach is one example of “how a government can protect public interests while also maintaining fair bargaining,” the CMC said in a release Tuesday. 

The CMC’s suggestion follows on the heels of Labour Minister Steven MacKinnon earlier this week directing the Canada Industrial Relations Board to order an end to work stoppages at Montreal and west coast ports that had frozen the import and export of various goods, including fertilizer, canola oil, meats, and containerized shipments of pulses and other crops. It marked the second time in just a matter of months Ottawa was forced to intervene in a contract dispute. In August it ordered an end to work stoppages at the country’s two largest railways. 

“Supply chains in Canada have shown significant vulnerability to work stoppages over the past two years, which in turn has had a devastating effect on Canada’s global reputation as a trading partner, harmed our economy, and hurt consumers,” said Bruce Burrows, President and CEO of the CMC. 

Canadian agricultural organizations have also repeatedly called on the federal government to find a lasting solution to the supply chain labour problems, arguing that Canada and its farmers risk losing hard-fought international market share every time grain movement is brought to a halt. 

According to the Business Council of Canada, federal government statistics show Canada has experienced 62 work stoppages in the transportation sector alone in 2023 and 2024, involving close to 20,000 workers.  

Burrows said the CMC is not against due process, collective bargaining, or worker rights. However, the organization is against the breakdown of vital supply chains, and especially against key supply chain links remaining severed while mediated negotiations fail to produce results, he said.  

“A better process is possible, and we are ready to help achieve it.” 

The CMC is a bi-national association that represents diverse marine industry stakeholders including major Canadian and American shippers, ports, terminals and marine service providers, as well as Canadian domestic and international ship owners.