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

Dockworkers astatine the Port of Montreal walked disconnected the occupation aboriginal Sunday for a one-day onslaught aimed astatine putting unit connected their leader amid hard declaration talks.

The national representing astir 1,200 longshore workers astatine the country’s 2nd biggest larboard served announcement Thursday for a implicit enactment stoppage from 7 a.m. Sunday until Monday morning.

The determination comes connected apical of an ongoing onslaught connected overtime shifts and a three-day onslaught astatine 2 instrumentality terminals that ended earlier this month.

The Maritime Employers Association says the enactment stoppage includes the Montreal larboard and the Contrecoeur terminal, but activities related to atom vessels and the proviso of Newfoundland and Labrador volition beryllium maintained successful enactment with a July determination of the Canadian Industrial Relations Board.

“The MEA hopes that upcoming discussions with the Federal Mediation and Conciliation Service volition beryllium fruitful and volition pb to a instrumentality to the dialog array to rapidly scope a negotiated corporate agreement,” the institution wrote successful a quality merchandise connected Saturday.

The MEA said past week the parties stay astatine an impasse aft 35 mediation meetings implicit 15 months.

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A spokesperson for the national said the striking workers were holding a peculiar wide assembly Sunday morning. It did not merchandise details of the docket and did not marque anyone disposable for an interview.

The Canadian Federation of Independent Businesses said successful a connection that the union’s actions are affecting tiny and medium-sized businesses, particularly up of the engaged vacation buying season.

“It’s clip the national authorities made ports an indispensable service, truthful that they stay operational astatine each times,” wrote Jasmin Guenette, the federation’s nationalist affairs vice-president.

The workers person been without a corporate statement since December 31, 2023.

This study by The Canadian Press was archetypal published Oct. 27, 2024.