When a labour disruption begins, the first 72 hours can shape the entire response. A strike, lockout or active picket line can quickly affect site access, employee movement, supplier deliveries, product flow, replacement worker logistics, police communication and operational continuity.
For employers, this early period is not the time to start building a plan. It is the time when the plan is tested.
The first 72 hours often determine whether a company maintains control or spends the rest of the disruption reacting to problems that could have been addressed in advance. A strong response depends on three key areas: understanding what happens in the opening hours, knowing where companies commonly lose control and avoiding timing mistakes that can make the disruption harder to manage.
What Happens in the First 72 Hours of a Labour Disruption
The first few days of a labour disruption are often unpredictable.
A picket line may form quickly at the main entrance or other access points. Vehicles may begin backing up. Employees may be unsure whether to report to work, how to enter the site or what to do if they are confronted. Suppliers may not know whether deliveries are continuing or whether routes and schedules have changed.
In some cases, the picket line may remain orderly. In others, the situation may become more tense, emotional or disruptive. Sympathetic picketers from other unions, job sites or outside groups may also appear, adding more pressure to the access points.
The company may contact police, but police involvement can depend on the circumstances. For example, police may attend a picket line where there are public safety concerns, threats, harassment, blocked access, property damage or a dispute that requires on-site assessment.
Source: Toronto Police Service
This is why employers should not assume that police presence alone will solve the problem. The company still needs its own plan for traffic movement, communication, documentation, security deployment and escalation.
Access Points During a Labour Disruption
Most labour disruptions put immediate pressure on access points.
That is where employees arrive for work, suppliers attempt deliveries, management enters and exits, replacement workers may need access, and picketers gather to make their position known. If the company does not have a clear traffic and access plan, confusion can build quickly.
The issue is not only whether people can enter the property. The issue is whether the company can move people, vehicles, materials and product in a safe, organized and predictable way.
A proper access plan may include carpooling, company-arranged vans, buses, adjusted delivery times, staging areas, alternate routes, controlled entry points and clear instructions for anyone who may need to enter or leave the site.
The goal is not to create confrontation. The goal is to reduce confusion, protect people and keep the operation as stable as possible.
Traffic and Supplier Planning Before the Picket Line Forms
Traffic planning is one of the most important parts of the first 72 hours.
Employees need to know whether they are expected to report to work, how they should travel, where they should go and who they should contact if they experience delays or concerns. Many employees were not hired with the expectation that they would have to cross a picket line, so uncertainty can create fear, hesitation and inconsistent attendance.
Suppliers also need direction before the disruption begins.
Some suppliers may attend the facility every day. Others may deliver multiple times per day, once per week or only when critical materials are required. If suppliers are left guessing, the disruption can quickly affect production, customers and the broader operation.
If the company uses replacement workers, it needs even more planning. The company should organize their transportation, accommodations, site access and daily movement before the first day of disruption. Trying to create that plan while the picket line is already active can create avoidable risk and confusion.
Communication During the First 72 Hours
Poor communication is one of the fastest ways for a company to lose control during the first 72 hours.
Employees need clear instructions. Suppliers need direction. Security personnel need defined duties. Management needs accurate updates. Police need reliable information if they become involved. Labour counsel needs proper documentation if legal remedies are being considered.
Without a communication structure, people start making decisions on their own. One department may tell employees one thing while another gives suppliers different instructions. Security may not know what incidents need to be documented. Management may not know what is happening at the gate. Legal counsel may not receive the information needed to support the company’s position.
A strong response should identify who is responsible for decisions, how updates are shared, how incidents are reported, who communicates with police, who communicates with legal counsel and when issues need to be escalated.
In the first 72 hours, communication does not need to be complicated. It needs to be clear, consistent and fast.
Evidence Gathering During a Labour Disruption
Evidence collection should begin as soon as the labour disruption starts.
If picketers block access, delay vehicles, threaten staff, damage property or interfere with lawful movement, the security team should document those incidents properly. The company may use video, photographs, incident reports, vehicle delay logs, witness notes, access logs and records of blocked entrances as evidence.
The purpose is not simply to record activity. The company creates an accurate and organized record to support its response if the situation escalates.
In British Columbia, the Labour Relations Board states that it has exclusive jurisdiction to decide whether a strike, lockout or picketing is lawful, as well as whether an employer is using replacement workers contrary to the Labour Relations Code.
Source: BC Labour Relations Board
The security team should document specific incidents with dates, times, locations, footage, photos, witness notes and written reports. If the team misses key incidents, they may be difficult or impossible to recreate later.
Timing Mistakes That Can Escalate the Disruption
One of the biggest mistakes employers make is waiting too long to respond.
If the company expects a labour disruption, it should position strike security on site, nearby or ready to deploy before day one. If the company waits until the site is already overwhelmed to call for support, it may struggle to manage access, collect evidence, communicate clearly and reduce escalation.
The same applies to logistics.
The company should arrange product movement, supply deliveries, worker transportation and replacement worker accommodations before the disruption begins.
Once the picket line is active, time disappears quickly. Management may suddenly have to make decisions under pressure that it should have made calmly in advance.
The first 72 hours reward preparation. They punish delay.
Why the First 72 Hours Set the Tone
The opening days of a labour disruption often shape the rest of the dispute.
A prepared company has a better chance of maintaining lawful access, protecting staff, directing suppliers, moving critical materials, gathering useful evidence and supporting its legal position.
An unprepared company may face delayed deliveries, uncertain employees, missed documentation, supplier hesitation, inconsistent communication and a gradual loss of operational control.
In Canada, unions and employers can lawfully strike or lock out once they meet the proper collective bargaining requirements. The Canada Industrial Relations Board notes that strikes and lockouts become legal once the collective agreement has expired and the union and employer have met the requirements under the Canada Labour Code.
Source: Canada Industrial Relations Board
Because lawful job action can create real operational pressure, employers should prepare before the disruption begins. Waiting until the first picket line forms is often too late.
Preparation Protects Control
Employers should plan the first 72 hours before the first picket line appears.
Before a potential strike, lockout or work stoppage, employers should know how people will enter the site, how suppliers will move through the process, how product will move, how replacement workers will access the site, how the team will gather evidence, how management will update police and legal counsel, and who will lead each part of the response.
At Western Protection Alliance, labour dispute security is not just about having personnel at the picket line. It is about helping clients protect safety, continuity, access, documentation and operational control during a high-risk period.
If your organization is preparing for a potential strike, lockout or work stoppage, employers should plan the first 72 hours before the first picket line appears. Once the disruption begins, every unclear instruction, missed report, delayed deployment or unplanned crossing can make the response harder than it needs to be.
Sources
- Canada Industrial Relations Board — Labour Relations: Illegal Strikes and Lockouts
https://cirb-ccri.gc.ca/en/about-appeals-applications-complaints/labour-relations-unlawful-strike-lockout - BC Labour Relations Board — Strikes, Lockouts, Picketing, and Replacement Workers
https://www.lrb.bc.ca/strikes-lockouts-picketing-and-replacement-workers - Toronto Police Service — Labour Disputes
https://www.tps.ca/demonstrations/labour-disputes/ - Western Protection Alliance — The First 72 Hours of a Labour Disruption https://youtu.be/M_NCHrtlSmE?si=r5tBw7p69QptNiLb