Port workers across the west coast of Canada returned to picket lines and resumed strike activities after the International Longshore and Warehouse Union (ILWU) rejected a tentative four-year wage deal with employers July 18.

In a statement released on the same day, the ILWU Canada Longshore Caucus said that it did not believe the recommendations proposed by mediators during the negotiation process would have sufficiently protected port workers’ jobs now or in the future.

“With the record profits that the BCMEA’s member companies have earned over the last few years, the employers have not addressed the cost of living issues that our workers have faced over the last couple of years as all workers have,” ILWU Canada said. “The term of the collective agreement that was given, with today’s uncertain times, is far too long. We must be able to readdress the uncertainty in the world’s financial markets for our members.”

The ILWU represents 7,500 dock workers who began striking on July 1 after the union failed to agree on a new contract with the British Columbia Maritime Employers Association (BCMEA).

The resumed strike at the Port of Vancouver could impact over 115,000 supply chain jobs that depend on the movement of goods through the port, according to the Vancouver Fraser Port Authority — the federal agency responsible for the shared supervision of the port.