Business

Canada’s dock workers union open for talks after gov’t seeks arbitration

Published

1 year ago

July 30, 2023

TORONTO, July 30 (Reuters) – Canada’s International Longshore and Warehouse Union (ILWU) on Sunday said that it is open for further negotiations after the government ordered an independent arbitrator to resolve the dispute.

The ILWU said it looks forward to resuming discussions and finding common ground “for the betterment of the Canadian supply chain and the livelihoods of its workforce.”

Canada’s labour minister on Saturday had directed the Canada Industrial Relations Board (CIRB) to determine whether a negotiated settlement or arbitration was still possible, after the dock workers union in western Canada rejected a contract.

Labour Minister Seamus O’Regan said the government was using its authority under section 107 of the Canada labour code to “preserve” industrial peace.

The CIRB will determine whether to impose a new collective agreement or impose a final binding arbitration to resolve outstanding terms of the collective agreement, the minister said in a statement. The minister said the ports in British Columbia are still operational.

Dock workers in western Canada have rejected a proposed labor contract that would have ended a dispute that has already affected trade and could have more economic repercussions by disrupting operations at the country’s busiest ports.

The ILWU, representing about 7,500 dock workers, had been negotiating a new contract with the British Columbia Maritime Employers Association (BCMEA) for months.

“The membership of the ILWU Canada Longshore Division has said no to the terms of the settlement,” the workers’ union said in a statement early on Saturday and called on its direct employers to come to the table for negotiations.

Alberta Premier Danielle Smith on Saturday asked elected officials and the union workers to immediately return to Ottawa to pass back-to-work legislation.

The BCMEA said it was disappointed that the ILWU rejected a tentative agreement that would have provided a compounded wage increase of 19.2% and increased retirement payouts in 2026 to C$96,250 ($72,625) for eligible retiring employees, over and above employees’ pension entitlements.

The proposed deal also provided a signing bonus of C$1.48 per hour worked to be paid to each employee – equivalent to about C$3,000 per full-time worker – and an 18.5% increase to a Modernization and Mechanization retirement lump sum payment, the BCMEA said.

The BCMEA also said it would await further direction from the federal government on the next steps and that the ILWU had not communicated its next steps and would retain the ability to provide 72-hour strike notices.

The leaders of the dock workers union in Canada’s Pacific region had last week backed the tentative contract deal with employers.

Some 7,500 workers walked off their jobs for 13 days earlier this month over disagreements about issues including wage increases and expanding the union’s jurisdiction to regular maintenance work on terminals.

The strike has upended operations at two of Canada’s three busiest ports, the Port of Vancouver and the Port of Prince Rupert, which are key gateways for exporting natural resources and commodities and bringing in raw materials.

Economists warned that the strike could trigger more supply-chain disruptions and fuel inflation while the Bank of Canada tries to cool the economy.

The world’s biggest fertilizer producer, Nutrien (NTR.TO), has already reported an impact on business, while more than half of small Canadian business owners said in a survey their operations were expected to be affected.

“Enough is enough,” Perrin Beatty, head of the Canadian Chamber of Commerce lobby group said in a statement, saying the country cannot face further disruption.

“To get our ports working again, we need to get Parliament back to work.”

($1 = 1.3253 Canadian dollars)

Reporting by Ismail Shakil in Ottawa and Gokul Pisharody in Bengaluru; Additional reporting by Urvi Dugar in Bengaluru; Editing by Muralikumar Anantharaman, Mark Potter, Deepa Babington and Diane Craft

Our Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

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Business

Canada Goose to get into eyewear through deal with Marchon

Published

5 hours ago

September 19, 2024

Anne Joseph

TORONTO – Canada Goose Holdings Inc. says it has signed a deal that will result in the creation of its first eyewear collection.

The deal announced on Thursday by the Toronto-based luxury apparel company comes in the form of an exclusive, long-term global licensing agreement with Marchon Eyewear Inc.

The terms and value of the agreement were not disclosed, but Marchon produces eyewear for brands including Lacoste, Nike, Calvin Klein, Ferragamo, Longchamp and Zeiss.

Marchon plans to roll out both sunglasses and optical wear under the Canada Goose name next spring, starting in North America.

Canada Goose says the eyewear will be sold through optical retailers, department stores, Canada Goose shops and its website.

Canada Goose CEO Dani Reiss told The Canadian Press in August that he envisioned his company eventually expanding into eyewear and luggage.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 19, 2024.

Companies in this story: (TSX:GOOS)

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Business

A timeline of events in the bread price-fixing scandal

Published

6 hours ago

September 19, 2024

Anne Joseph

Almost seven years since news broke of an alleged conspiracy to fix the price of packaged bread across Canada, the saga isn’t over: the Competition Bureau continues to investigate the companies that may have been involved, and two class-action lawsuits continue to work their way through the courts.

Here’s a timeline of key events in the bread price-fixing case.

Oct. 31, 2017: The Competition Bureau says it’s investigating allegations of bread price-fixing and that it was granted search warrants in the case. Several grocers confirm they are co-operating in the probe.

Dec. 19, 2017: Loblaw and George Weston say they participated in an “industry-wide price-fixing arrangement” to raise the price of packaged bread. The companies say they have been co-operating in the Competition Bureau’s investigation since March 2015, when they self-reported to the bureau upon discovering anti-competitive behaviour, and are receiving immunity from prosecution. They announce they are offering $25 gift cards to customers amid the ongoing investigation into alleged bread price-fixing.

Jan. 31, 2018: In court documents, the Competition Bureau says at least $1.50 was added to the price of a loaf of bread between about 2001 and 2016.

Dec. 20, 2019: A class-action lawsuit in a Quebec court against multiple grocers and food companies is certified against a number of companies allegedly involved in bread price-fixing, including Loblaw, George Weston, Metro, Sobeys, Walmart Canada, Canada Bread and Giant Tiger (which have all denied involvement, except for Loblaw and George Weston, which later settled with the plaintiffs).

Dec. 31, 2021: A class-action lawsuit in an Ontario court covering all Canadian residents except those in Quebec who bought packaged bread from a company named in the suit is certified against roughly the same group of companies.

June 21, 2023: Bakery giant Canada Bread Co. is fined $50 million after pleading guilty to four counts of price-fixing under the Competition Act as part of the Competition Bureau’s ongoing investigation.

Oct. 25 2023: Canada Bread files a statement of defence in the Ontario class action denying participating in the alleged conspiracy and saying any anti-competitive behaviour it participated in was at the direction and to the benefit of its then-majority owner Maple Leaf Foods, which is not a defendant in the case (neither is its current owner Grupo Bimbo). Maple Leaf calls Canada Bread’s accusations “baseless.”

Dec. 20, 2023: Metro files new documents in the Ontario class action accusing Loblaw and its parent company George Weston of conspiring to implicate it in the alleged scheme, denying involvement. Sobeys has made a similar claim. The two companies deny the allegations.

July 25, 2024: Loblaw and George Weston say they agreed to pay a combined $500 million to settle both the Ontario and Quebec class-action lawsuits. Loblaw’s share of the settlement includes a $96-million credit for the gift cards it gave out years earlier.

Sept. 12, 2024: Canada Bread files new documents in Ontario court as part of the class action, claiming Maple Leaf used it as a “shield” to avoid liability in the alleged scheme. Maple Leaf was a majority shareholder of Canada Bread until 2014, and the company claims it’s liable for any price-fixing activity. Maple Leaf refutes the claims.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 19, 2024.

Companies in this story: (TSX:L, TSX:MFI, TSX:MRU, TSX:EMP.A, TSX:WN)

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Business

TD CEO to retire next year, takes responsibility for money laundering failures

Published

9 hours ago

September 19, 2024

Anne Joseph

TORONTO – TD Bank Group, which is mired in a money laundering scandal in the U.S., says chief executive Bharat Masrani will retire next year.

Masrani, who will retire officially on April 10, 2025, says the bank’s, “anti-money laundering challenges,” took place on his watch and he takes full responsibility.

The bank named Raymond Chun, TD’s group head, Canadian personal banking, as his successor.

As part of a transition plan, Chun will become chief operating officer on Nov. 1 before taking over the top job when Masrani steps down at the bank’s annual meeting next year.

TD also announced that Riaz Ahmed, group head, wholesale banking and president and CEO of TD Securities, will retire at the end of January 2025.

TD has taken billions in charges related to ongoing U.S. investigations into the failure of its anti-money laundering program.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 19, 2024.

Companies in this story: (TSX:TD)

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