Container truck drivers, who service Canada's biggest port, have reached a deal to end a prolonged strike that officials said threatened the country's economy, reports CBC News.
The province of British Columbia introduced back-to-work legislation earlier this week that would have affected the unionised workers, but the government is now scrapping it as the truckers agreed to return to work.
Furthermore, the port will rescind any licence suspension introduced during the strike. The federal government will also implement a 12 per-cent hike in roundtrip rates and a $25.13 minimum rate for hourly drivers.
Port Metro Vancouver is also committed to consulting with the trucking industry on an overhaul of the current port licensing system "to create a more stable trucking industry".
Provincial premier Christy Clark announced an agreement was reached between the members of the United Truckers Association and Unifor and the province, the federal government and Port Metro Vancouver.
Container shipping at Vancouver's four terminals had been cut 90 per cent after 250 unionised truckers went on strike March 10, joining 1,000 non-unionised truckers who walked out in February.
The dispute left hundreds of millions of dollars worth of cargo stranded at Vancouver-area container terminals and both British Columbia's Premier Clark and Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper warned the dispute was jeopardizing the economy.