by Manal Barakat, SeaNewsEditor
All longshoremen at the Port of Montreal, except those working in the bulk sector and essential services, will not receive their salaries after they decide to strike indefinitely on 31 October.
In a new statement, the Maritime Employers Association (MEA) announced that it “will have no other choice than to proceed with the suspension of the salary guarantee” as of 5 November.
According to the MEA, this decision is a “mitigation measure” to reduce the financial impact of repeated strikes.
The union had rejected the associations’ offer to enter a period of accelerated negotiations with the support of a government mediator, says the MEA.
The indefinite strikes, which started on 31 October, block container handling operations at two terminals: Viau and Maisonneuve.
The following ports will, however, remain operational, according to an update by the port:
- Bickerdike, Cast, Racine and CanEst container terminals
- Logistec dry bulk terminals (Montreal and Contrecoeur)
- Liquid bulk terminals
- Grain terminal (Viterra)
Furthermore, effective Tuesday, 5 November, rail operations at Montreal Gateway Terminal (MGT) facilities, including Cast and Racine, will be suspended until further notice.
This suspension is necessary due to higher-than-usual yard utilisation and significant operational constraints, compounded by ongoing tensions related to the renewal of the Montreal longshoremen’s collective agreement.
This disruption will affect all import and export rail operations at both terminals. During this period, inbound trains will not be accepted, and imported rail traffic will not be loaded onto rail cars.
In response, CN Rail has announced an immediate halt to accepting export traffic destined for Montreal at all inland ramps. Similarly, CPKC Rail ceased accepting Montreal export traffic at all inland ramps.
Strikes on the West Coast
Meanwhile, another indefinite strike started this week on Canada’s West Coast.
As of 4 November, members of the ILWU union started an industrial action that impacts all major ports, including Vancouver Port and Prince Rupert Port.
The British Columbia Employer's Association (BCMEA) decided to start a coast-wide lockout in response to the strike.
The BCMEA later revealed that it presented the union with a final offer last week. The offer is a four-year agreement that provides a 19.2% increase in wages.
If the offer was accepted, it “would reward the hard work of forepersons while ensuring the stability and resiliency of Canada’s West Coast ports,” says the association.
At the time of publishing this article, no response to the offer was posted by the ILWU.
