Tentative deal reached in port strike on Canada’s west coast

VANCOUVER, British Columbia (AP) — A tentative deal has been reached between employers and workers in a strike that has halted shipments in and out of ports in Canada’s west coast region of British Columbia for nearly two weeks. A statement from the BC Maritime Employers Association says it has reached a tentative agreement with the International Longshore and Warehouse Union. The strike by 7,400 members of the union began July 1 and shut down more than 30 west coast ports, including Canada’s largest, the Port of Vancouver. The tentative deal came after federal Labor Minister Seamus O’Regan ordered a mediator to issue terms of a possible settlement, saying the gap between the sides wasn’t sufficient to continue the strike.