CUPE 375 has issued a 24-hour strike notice from 7 a.m. Sunday, 27 October, affecting all operations at the Port of Montreal.
On Thursday, 24 October, the union representing Port of Montreal longshore workers (CUPE 375) issued a 24-hour strike notice, running from 7 a.m. on Sunday, 27 October, to 6:59 a.m. on Monday, 28 October. The notice consists of a complete stoppage of work on the Port of Montreal territory, including the Contrecœur terminal.
Members are also invited to attend an extraordinary general meeting this coming Sunday. The union already carried out a three-day strike in September and continues their strike action refusing to work overtime. Longshore workers at the Port of Montreal have been without a collective agreement since 31 December 2023.
Earlier this week, Canadian Labour Minister Steven MacKinnon confirmed that his proposal to appoint a special mediator to help find a solution in the protracted talks has fallen through.
The Maritime Employers Association (MEA) commented on the strike notice received from CUPE Local 375: “We recall that the strike called on 30 September by the union paralysed operations for three days at the Viau and Maisonneuve (Termont) terminals, which represent 41% of Port of Montreal’s activities, resulting in lasting consequences. The strike that began October 10, 2024, at 7:00 p.m., which completely halted overtime in all its forms, is still ongoing and continues to cause damages.”
“These pressure tactics applied by the union have created significant operational problems, which are in addition to a number of obstacles that are seriously affecting stability and reliability at the Port of Montreal as well as in the Quebec and Canadian supply chain. This uncertainty has major repercussions, particularly the significant loss of cargo. The cargo handled by Montreal longshore workers has decreased by 24% since 2022, mainly to the benefit of ports on the US east coast,” MEA added.
“The MEA has given this proposal serious consideration. The MEA thanks Minister MacKinnon for his involvement. It is clear that the Minister understands the Port of Montreal’s crucial importance for the Canadian public and its success is dear to his heart,” MEA continued. “As the Minister stated, unfortunately, there was no agreement on the appointment of a special mediator and he withdrew his offer. After 35 mediation meetings over 15 months, it is clear that the parties are still at square one and at an impasse. We firmly believe that the best agreements are reached between the parties at the negotiating table.”
The MEA hopes that the Federal Mediation and Conciliation Service (FMCS) will find a path to success in the face of the impasse. “As the Minister declared, we will be holding discussions with the FMCS in the coming week. The MEA is committed to playing an active role in the process and urges the Union to demonstrate the same openness,” the Maritime Employers Association concluded.
