by Manal Barakat, SeaNewsEditor
Update: 26.09.2024
An update by the Port of Montreal reveals that the majority of union members voted in favour of adopting a strike mandate.
Port operations remain undisrupted at the moment, as the union is obliged to issue a 72-hour notice before engaging in any labour action.
Nevertheless, the port authority announced that it is "preparing to manage the operational impacts should such notice be given."
Kuehne+Nagel is following the situation closely and will report any developments as they become available.
Original article: 24.09.2024
Local 375 of the Canadian Union of Public Employees (CUPE), which represents the Port of Montreal longshoremen, will hold a strike vote this week, reports the Journal of Commerce (JOC).
The five-year collective agreement, which covers the contracts of over 1,000 Montreal longshoremen, expired on 31 December 2023. Since then, the Maritime Employers Association (MEA) and the union have held a series of talks in an attempt to reach a new agreement.
According to JOC, the MEA announced that the union called for members to vote on Tuesday and Wednesday, 24 and 25 September. It stressed, however, that no "pressure tactics" are allowed before a 72-hour notice is issued.
Earlier this year, the MEA attempted and failed to get longshore labour recognised as an "essential service," which would have prevented dockworkers from going on strike.
The talks impasse called for mediation efforts by Canada’s Federal Mediation and Conciliation Service, which will hold a new session this Thursday, 26 September.
Local 375 is requesting both the preservation of existing wage guarantees and a 20% pay rise over the four-year contract. JOC mentioned that a labour action that took place in Montreal in 2020 caused a backlog of almost 11,000 containers that took weeks to clear.
Developments on the west coast
In the meantime, the Canada Industrial Relations Board (CIRB) completed the hearing regarding the ILWU Local 514 pay and manning proposal for 730 foremen in British Columbia working at DP World (Canada) Inc.
So far, no notice of strike has been issued for Canada's West Coast, and both parties are awaiting a decision from the Board to determine their next steps.
