Longshoremen have announced the closure of the Port of Montreal after rejecting a final offer on a new labor contract
The Port of Montreal is closed after terminal operators shut down operations in a labor dispute with Local 375, the Canadian Union of Public Employees, in Montreal, Quebec, Canada, on Nov. 10.
On Sunday, the Maritime Employers Association (MEA) and the union said the Montreal Longshoremen's union rejected a final offer for a new Labour contract, leading to the declaration of a lockout.
MEA said in a statement it had announced the shutdown as of 9 p.m. Eastern Time (02:00 GMT), which will affect nearly 1,200 port workers at the Canadian port, which handled 8.7 million tons in the third quarter of 2024.
The union representing longshoremen at the Port of Montreal said 99.7 per cent of its members rejected the offer because the employer refused to negotiate.
"If MEAs respected the collective bargaining process, a solution could have been found and the conflict at the Port of Montreal could have been avoided," union adviser Michelle Murray said in a statement.
The two terminals operated by Termont, the Port of Montreal container terminal operator, account for about 40 per cent of Montreal's container traffic and 15 per cent of the port's total throughput.
The two key terminals at the Port of Montreal have already been on strike for 72 hours from September 30 to October 3, 2024 due to a Labour dispute. The strike affected about 35% of container capacity, dealing a major blow to the port's operational efficiency. Subsequently, the union announced that it would start an indefinite strike on October 10. The decision quickly sent shockwaves through the industry and created greater challenges for the port's operations. In fact, since October 31, the Port of Montreal's Termont-operated terminals have been in a state of "indefinite" strike, causing both terminals to be paralyzed since 11 a.m. on November 1. Port cargo handling capacity has been significantly reduced, and daily loading and unloading operations are slow, which has a significant impact on daily economic activities. On a normal day, the Port of Montreal can handle nearly C $400 million ($288 million) worth of cargo.
However, after Sunday's announcement, all terminal operations at the port will be shut down. The Port of Montreal will continue to provide only essential services that are not related to the terminal.
MEA said its final offer provided for a 3 percent pay increase in each of the four years followed by a 3.5 percent increase in the subsequent two years.
West Coast ports, including Vancouver, Canada's largest port, have also been mostly closed since Monday due to a labor dispute, affecting exports of canola oil and forest products.
The strike at the Port of Montreal did not occur in isolation, but stemmed from a long-running labor dispute. Longshoremen are unhappy about working conditions, pay and staffing issues, which has led to protracted negotiations with management. In particular, in the dispute over working hours, the union wanted the management to adjust the shift schedule to better balance the work and life of the workers, but the management did not meet this demand.
On Sunday, the Maritime Employers Association (MEA) and the union said the Montreal Longshoremen's union rejected a final offer for a new Labour contract, leading to the declaration of a lockout.
MEA said in a statement it had announced the shutdown as of 9 p.m. Eastern Time (02:00 GMT), which will affect nearly 1,200 port workers at the Canadian port, which handled 8.7 million tons in the third quarter of 2024.
The union representing longshoremen at the Port of Montreal said 99.7 per cent of its members rejected the offer because the employer refused to negotiate.
"If MEAs respected the collective bargaining process, a solution could have been found and the conflict at the Port of Montreal could have been avoided," union adviser Michelle Murray said in a statement.
The two terminals operated by Termont, the Port of Montreal container terminal operator, account for about 40 per cent of Montreal's container traffic and 15 per cent of the port's total throughput.
The two key terminals at the Port of Montreal have already been on strike for 72 hours from September 30 to October 3, 2024 due to a Labour dispute. The strike affected about 35% of container capacity, dealing a major blow to the port's operational efficiency. Subsequently, the union announced that it would start an indefinite strike on October 10. The decision quickly sent shockwaves through the industry and created greater challenges for the port's operations. In fact, since October 31, the Port of Montreal's Termont-operated terminals have been in a state of "indefinite" strike, causing both terminals to be paralyzed since 11 a.m. on November 1. Port cargo handling capacity has been significantly reduced, and daily loading and unloading operations are slow, which has a significant impact on daily economic activities. On a normal day, the Port of Montreal can handle nearly C $400 million ($288 million) worth of cargo.
However, after Sunday's announcement, all terminal operations at the port will be shut down. The Port of Montreal will continue to provide only essential services that are not related to the terminal.
MEA said its final offer provided for a 3 percent pay increase in each of the four years followed by a 3.5 percent increase in the subsequent two years.
West Coast ports, including Vancouver, Canada's largest port, have also been mostly closed since Monday due to a labor dispute, affecting exports of canola oil and forest products.
The strike at the Port of Montreal did not occur in isolation, but stemmed from a long-running labor dispute. Longshoremen are unhappy about working conditions, pay and staffing issues, which has led to protracted negotiations with management. In particular, in the dispute over working hours, the union wanted the management to adjust the shift schedule to better balance the work and life of the workers, but the management did not meet this demand.
