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Port of Montreal dockworkers hold one-day strike to pressure employer

Click to play video: 'Business Matters: Federal minister’s proposed strike freeze fails to find traction in Montreal port standoff'
Business Matters: Federal minister’s proposed strike freeze fails to find traction in Montreal port standoff
A push by the federal labour minister to reset relations in a labour standoff at the Port of Montreal has come to naught, as a partial strike drags on. In a social media post on Monday evening, Steven MacKinnon said dockworkers and their employers failed to find consensus after he proposed a three-month freeze on strikes and lockouts early last week. The would-be 90-day work stoppage aimed to have a special mediator work with both sides to hammer out a deal after bargaining stalled earlier this month. Anne Gaviola has this story and more in Business Matters for Tuesday October 22, 2024 – Oct 22, 2024

Dockworkers at the Port of Montreal walked off the job early Sunday for a one-day strike aimed at putting pressure on their employer amid difficult contract talks.

The union representing nearly 1,200 longshore workers at the country’s second biggest port served notice Thursday for a complete work stoppage from 7 a.m. Sunday until Monday morning.

The move comes on top of an ongoing strike on overtime shifts and a three-day strike at two container terminals that ended earlier this month.

The Maritime Employers Association says the work stoppage includes the Montreal port and the Contrecoeur terminal, but activities related to grain vessels and the supply of Newfoundland and Labrador will be maintained in line with a July decision of the Canadian Industrial Relations Board.

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“The MEA hopes that upcoming discussions with the Federal Mediation and Conciliation Service will be fruitful and will lead to a return to the negotiation table to quickly reach a negotiated collective agreement,” the company wrote in a news release on Saturday.

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The MEA said last week the parties remain at an impasse after 35 mediation meetings over 15 months.

Click to play video: 'Business Matters: Port of Montreal dockworkers begin overtime strike'
Business Matters: Port of Montreal dockworkers begin overtime strike

A spokesperson for the union said the striking workers were holding a special general assembly Sunday morning. It did not release details of the agenda and did not make anyone available for an interview.

The Canadian Federation of Independent Businesses said in a statement that the union’s actions are affecting small and medium-sized businesses, especially ahead of the busy holiday shopping season.

“It’s time the federal government made ports an essential service, so that they remain operational at all times,” wrote Jasmin Guenette, the federation’s national affairs vice-president.

The workers have been without a collective agreement since December 31, 2023.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Oct. 27, 2024.

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