Canadian Minister of Labour Steven MacKinnon on Tuesday moved to intervene in port labor disputes in Montreal, Vancouver and Quebec City by asking the Canada Industrial Relations Board (CIRB) to order an end to work stoppages and impose binding arbitration.

Peter Graefe, a professor of politics and labour studies at MacMaster University in Hamilton, Ont., said that the spectre of Trump casts a long shadow over Ottawa. “Clearly, the looming second Trump presidency is top of mind right now for pretty much all senior ministers,” said Graefe on Tuesday.

Labour Minister Steven MacKinnon has sent labour disputes at ports in Quebec and British Columbia to binding arbitration and has ordered people back to work after the disputes reached what he called a "total impasse.

Canadian Labour Minister Steven MacKinnon said on Tuesday he had directed the country's labor relations board to order an end to disputes at the ports of Vancouver and Montreal, citing the economic damage inflicted.

Canada’s labor minister said Tuesday he is intervening to end lockouts at the country’s two biggest ports. Labor Minister Steven Mackinnon said the negotiations have reached an impasse and he is directing the Canada Industrial Relations Board to order the resumption of all operations at the ports and move the talks to binding arbitration.

OTTAWA — Labour Minister Steven MacKinnon is intervening to end the work stoppages at ports in both British Columbia and Montreal.