350 dockworkers strike, impacting over 40 percent of container traffic at Montreal’s key port terminals
Dockworkers initiated a three-day strike at the Port of Montreal on Monday, as reported by BNN Bloomberg.
The strike halted operations at two terminals that handle over 40 percent of the container traffic at Canada’s second-largest port.
At 7 am, 350 longshore workers stopped working at the Viau and Maisonneuve Termont terminals as part of a limited strike amid contract negotiations. The strike is expected to last until Thursday morning.
The union, affiliated with the Canadian Union of Public Employees, launched the strike to push for demands related to regular scheduling and higher wages.
The Maritime Employers Association (MEA) stated it had tried “all possible means” to prevent the strike, including mediation and an emergency hearing with the Canada Industrial Relations Board.
“The MEA had sincerely hoped to find common ground between the parties so that we could maintain operations. We are thus disappointed with this outcome,” said Isabelle Pelletier, an MEA spokesperson.
In the United States, dockworkers at ports from Maine to Texas are threatening to strike, potentially leading to a shutdown at those locations.
A prolonged strike could raise prices and create shortages for retailers across North America, especially as the holiday season and a close US presidential election approach.
Outside the Port of Montreal on Monday, about two dozen workers held signs near two entrances, drawing honks of support from passing drivers.
The signs displayed varied messages, including “It’s time to negotiate” and “no” to contract work, “yes” to full-time work. Some workers took a more aggressive stance, with one sign stating, “MEA, it’s up to you to decide — respect or war.”
Union spokesperson Michel Murray said on Friday that the union would hold off on a strike if the employer addressed two key issues: unpredictable shifts and the decreased use of senior forepersons during operations.
The workers' contract with the MEA expired on December 31.
Lisa McEwan, co-owner of Hemisphere Freight, a customs brokerage firm, stated that the short strike could have significant effects, saying, “A two-day strike can wreak havoc on the importations into this country.”
She warned that a prolonged strike could be even worse, as ships would get stuck at sea, driving up container prices and ultimately increasing costs for consumers.
Transport Minister Anita Anand emphasized the importance of the Port of Montreal to Canada’s supply chains and urged both parties to resume negotiations.
“Parties must return to the table and put in the work needed to get a deal done,” Anand said in a social media post. She recently took on the transport minister role after Pablo Rodriguez stepped down to pursue leadership of the Quebec Liberal Party.
Labour disruptions have increasingly affected Canada’s maritime supply chain. A 13-day strike by 7,400 BC dockworkers in July 2023 shut down the country’s largest port, while an eight-day strike on the St. Lawrence Seaway last October delayed shipments of essential goods.
Montreal longshore workers previously went on strike for five days in April 2021 and for 12 days in August 2020, leaving 11,500 containers stuck at the port.
