Thank you, Madam Chair, and thank you, witnesses, for being here today and bringing your thoughts on the port of Vancouver strike.
I wanted to start by saying, let's remember that when there were issues at the Port of Montreal, it was after two years of not having a contract and a lot of disruption that the government, as a last resort, brought the back-to-work legislation. There was no other opportunity to bring workers back.
Let's not say it's a day. It was almost two years of disruption, and I think it's important that we get back to understanding that the government really believes that collective bargaining is done at best at the table.
That is also, I believe, what was done during the port of Vancouver collective bargaining issue. I know that Minister O'Regan was present for the whole time, working with parties, trying to work and bring parties together, and making sure that the long-term effects of these discussions would be giving the port of Vancouver a way of functioning again.
I'm trying to understand something.
Maybe, Mr. Ashton, you would have some remarks, or others would, on this. Knowing that we wanted to bring both parties to a fair settlement—quickly, of course, but to a fair settlement—without doing anything that would upset the balance at the bargaining table, what was the effect or the impact of the minister's referral to recommend a settlement with the Canada Industrial Relations Board? Can you give us a bit of insight on that, Mr. Ashton, and then maybe others, if they have any comments?