Almost half of the Port of Montreal’s container capacity will be shuttered through the first half of next week as dockworkers there plan to strike two of its five container terminals, the latest move in a long-simmering standoff between the local longshore union and the port’s maritime employers.
The Canadian Union of Public Employees (CUPE) Local 375 sent a 72-hour notice to the Maritime Employers Association (MEA) of its intent to strike, according to a statement Friday from the Montreal Port Authority. The strike will target the Viau and Maisonneuve container terminals from Sept. 30 through Oct. 2, reopening on Thursday.
The two terminals, which can handle a combined 1.1 million TEUs, account for 41% of Montreal’s container capacity. The port’s other three terminals will remain open, the port said.
The strike in Montreal will likely coincide with a strike by longshoremen along the US East and Gulf coasts, who are expected to walk off the job on Oct. 1 in what would be the first coastwide strike in those regions since 1977.
The Port of Montreal said that vessel calls to the two targeted terminals will be suspended, and trucks and rail will not be able to access them. The Viau terminal primarily handles services operated by Mediterranean Shipping Co., while Maisonneuve handles MSC, OOCL and Hapag-Lloyd services.
“Any work stoppage at the Port of Montreal has major consequences,” the MEA said in a separate statement. “With cargo handled by Montreal longshore workers already down 24% since 2022, we have a joint responsibility to secure a singed collective agreement as soon as possible.”
CUPE did not respond to a request for comment.
The strike notice comes two days after members of Local 375 voted to approve a strike. Under Canadian law, unions are authorized to call a strike within 60 days of a vote and must provide employers with a 72-hour notice. The Montreal Port Authority added that it has activated a “business continuity plan to ensure that the pressure tactics that will be used do not harm the rest of port operations.”
The strike also comes the same week Local 375 and MEA sat down in government-mediated talks on a new collective bargaining agreement to replace the one that expired at the end of 2023.
“Although negotiations are continuing, we are disappointed that they have not allowed the two parties to reach an agreement to date, while nearly $6 billion worth of cargo is expected on the Port of Montreal’s docks in the coming weeks,” Montreal Port Authority Chief Executive Julie Gascon said in the agency’s statement. “I therefore invite both parties to continue negotiations in order to avoid a work stoppage.”
It wasn’t immediately clear why Local 375 targeted the two terminals, which are owned by Canada’s Termont International. However, there is a history of bad blood between the two sides. In one incident, Termont managers who had been working at the terminals during a 2020 strike were attacked, with Montreal police having questioned longshore workers about the assault.
Source:
Angell, M. (2024c, September 27). Port of Montreal to face three-day strike against two terminals next week. Journal of Commerce. https://www.joc.com/article/port-of-montreal-to-face-three-day-strike-against-two-terminals-next-week-5737483