Port of Montreal reveals impacts of ongoing strike

At the end of the first day of the strike at the Port of Montreal, which took place on Monday, 30 September, the Montreal Port Authority (MPA) revealed the first operational impacts.

The three-day strike by members of the CUPE Longshoremen’s Union, Local 375, will continue until 6:59 a.m. on Thursday, 3 October.

“While the ongoing work stoppage at the Viau and Maisonneuve terminals is paralysing 40% of total container handling capacity, MPA is seeing an accumulation of containers on the ground, including temperature-controlled containers for food, pharmaceutical and medical products. In addition, goods scheduled to transit through the Viau and Maisonneuve terminals are currently being held up at forwarding agents, and five container ships due to arrive at the Port of Montreal in the next few days have been delayed,” the port said in a statement.

The data released on Tuesday presents a partial picture, as companies using Montreal’s port services have few options.

Port of Montreal situation as of 1 October, 8 a.m. local time:

Credit: Port of Montreal

Based on past data, the current slowdown would result in a 10% drop in total cargo volumes handled at the Port of Montreal.

The Viau and Maisonneuve terminals, operated by Termont, are currently closed, meaning that access to the terminals is prohibited, and no rail, ship or truck services are provided. All other Port of Montreal terminals remain in service.

Long-term impacts to be expected

“This situation deprives our customers and partners of 40% of container handling capacity on the St. Lawrence at a crucial time, when both import and export holiday cargo must transit through the Port of Montreal. The parties must reach an agreement as soon as possible, given that C$ 6 billion worth of goods are expected to pass through the Port of Montreal over the next few weeks. What’s more, the climate of uncertainty that accompanies the lack of progress between the two parties means that we have to anticipate long-term impacts. Supply chain reliability is at the heart of Port users’ business decisions, and that’s why I’m calling on both parties to return to the table and reassure the thousands of companies that rely on our services to export and import goods crucial to their operations,” said Julie Gascon, President and CEO of the MPA.

The MPA has activated its business continuity plan, to ensure that the pressure tactics to be applied do not adversely affect the rest of port operations. It has set up a web page enabling Port of Montreal users to keep abreast of developments and operational impacts.