The Globe and Mail reports in its Monday, July 31, edition that the anticipated ruling by the Canada Industrial Relations Board into the impasse at B.C. ports will focus on whether it is still possible to forge a negotiated deal despite a gulf over the issue of contracting out, as the deadlock threatens another strike and renewed economic upheaval. The Globe's Brent Jang writes that Federal Labour Minister Seamus O'Regan asked the board to intervene on Saturday, hours after the union announced that eligible voting members rejected the mediated tentative deal that their leadership agreed to on July 21. Mr. O'Regan wants the labour board to quickly determine whether the possibility of a negotiated settlement has been eliminated, given the rejection by the membership. He said in a statement: "If the board determines that to be the case, I have directed them to either impose a new collective agreement on the parties or impose final binding arbitration to resolve outstanding terms of the collective agreement. Our economy cannot face further disruption from this dispute." Both the union and the employers have characterized the issue of contracting out as the major sticking point.