Canada's Labor Minister ended labor battles at Vancouver and Montreal ports, the second time the Canadian government has recently forced unions back to work.

OTTAWA (Reuters) - Canadian Labour Minister Steven MacKinnon will brief media at 10 am Eastern Time (1500 GMT) on Tuesday about the status of disputes at the major ports of Vancouver and Montreal, his office said in a statement. A spokesman for MacKinnon declined to give more details.

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.

OTTAWA (Reuters) -Canada on Tuesday moved to end labor disputes at the country's two biggest ports of Vancouver and Montreal, citing the economic damage and the potential for driving away trading partners.

Canada’s labor minister said Tuesday he is intervening to end lockouts of workers at the country’s two biggest ports.

Canada’s Labor Minister, Steven MacKinnon, has taken decisive action to end the recent labor disruptions affecting key ports in Vancouver, Prince Rupert, and Montreal. By invoking federal powers, MacKinnon has ordered binding arbitration between the labor unions and port owners,

From east to west, international shipments are at a standstill. Dock workers have been locked out at the Port of Montreal since Sunday. In British Columbia, they’ve been off the job for more than a week -- a dispute that Ottawa say has gone on too long.