Board of Trade vice president urges 'immediate action' by federal government

Dock foremen and women in British Columbia issued a strike notice for Monday, setting up a complete shutdown of Canada's busiest port, a business group said.

The International Longshore and Warehouse Union Ship & Dock Foremen Local 514 provided 72-hour advanced notice on Thursday, according to an emailed statement from the BC Maritime Employers Association.

The written notice sets up a complete shutdown of BCMEA company operations at Canada's West Coast ports starting on Monday at 10 a.m. Central time. The walk out would include Canada's busiest port -- Vancouver.

"We are extremely concerned that this strike could cascade quickly to shutting down the entire west coast port system," said David van Hemmen, vice president of the Greater Vancouver Board of Trade, adding the strike endangers $574 million per day in trade.

"We are calling for immediate action by the federal government to intervene," van Hemmen said in a statement.

The forepersons voted to authorize the strike in September. A representative for ILWU Local 514, which represents 730 foremen and women, didn't immediately respond to requests for comment.

A 13-day strike by more than 7,000 longshore workers caused large-scale disruption at Canada's west coast ports last year, and the North American transportation and logistics sectors have continued to be hit by labor disputes this year.

A three-day strike shut every major port on the U.S. East and Gulf coast in early October, and dockworkers at the port of Montreal have also walked out in recent days.

Canada's two biggest railways were also shut temporarily over the summer after bargaining between union leaders and their employers broke down.