Bill C-39 Gets the Diagnosis Right. Now Finish the Cure.

Twenty-four days. That’s how long the West Coast ports and the rail behind them were shut down in 16 months of 2023–24. About $19.2 billion in cargo stuck. A lot of it was steel, glazing and elevators our members had already paid for.

Bill C-39 is Ottawa’s answer. ICBA sent its submission to the House committee this week, and you can read the whole thing here.

Short version: good bill. Not done yet.

A lot of what ICBA asked for this year is in C-39. A one-year clock on federal project decisions. A special mediator who reports in public before anyone can strike or lock out. A way to get B.C.-wide bargaining at the ports started without waiting for the ILWU to ask for it. It never will.

But the mediation window is written as a purpose, not a rule. Section 107 still can’t be used until the ports are already closed. And the bill opens the door to port-wide certification, then walks nobody through it. The ILWU–BCMEA deal expires March 31, 2027. Bargaining starts this fall. If nothing happens on royal assent, 2027 looks like 2023.

So we asked for four fixes: make the 10-day window law, let the Minister act before the damage, refer the ports to the Board on royal assent, and add a secret ballot. Plus open tendering on every project this bill touches.

After the 2023 shutdowns, 62 per cent of ICBA members told us they had supply chain problems. Most saw projects delayed. More than half raised prices. Nearly a quarter turned down work.

Canada says it wants to build. It can’t do that with its supply chains one strike away from shutting down.

Read the full submission.