Labour Relations

Mike Leonard - Vice President, Labour Relations Play Video

The department’s activities are driven by the unique service requirements and commercial strategic objectives of BCMEA’s diverse customer members comprised of ship owners and agents, stevedores, container, bulk and break bulk terminal operators. 

Our customer members share an employee base of over five thousand men and women covered by two coast-wide collective agreements between the BCMEA and all the BC Longshore and Foremen locals that are spread out along Canada’s west coast, from Prince Rupert to Vancouver Island to the Lower Mainland of BC.

The Association’s Labour Relations department provides advocacy and support 24 hours a day, 365 days a year on a broad range of services including:

• Contract interpretation and administration of two coast-wide Collective Agreements covering Longshore and Foremen;
• Advocacy in dispute resolution processes up to and including Arbitration;
• Representation before the Canadian Industrial Relations Board, the Canadian Human Rights Commission and other regulatory Agencies
• Strategic partnership on the implementation of new cargo operations, methodologies or procedures.

The department is committed to delivering practical solutions in support of its customer members’ goals to improving reliability and productivity in the Asia Pacific Gateway.