Montreal dockworker strike shuts down terminals at one of Canada's largest ports
Work stoppage began Monday at 7 a.m. at Viau and Maisonneuve Termont terminals
Kkritika Suri
Dockworkers launched a three-day strike at the Port of Montreal on Monday, halting operations at two terminals that manage over 40% of the container traffic at Canada’s second-largest port.
Approximately 350 longshore workers walked off the job at the Viau and Maisonneuve Termont terminals starting at 7 a.m., as part of a targeted strike amidst ongoing contract negotiations. The strike is expected to continue until Thursday morning.
The local union, affiliated with the Canadian Union of Public Employees, said the strike is intended to strengthen their demands for more predictable scheduling and higher wages.
On Sunday, the Maritime Employers Association (MEA) stated it had exhausted "all possible means" to avoid a strike, including mediation efforts and an emergency hearing with the Canada Industrial Relations Board that same afternoon.
"The MEA had sincerely hoped to find common ground between the parties so that we could maintain operations. We are thus disappointed with this outcome," said Isabelle Pelletier, a spokesperson for the association, in a statement.
This strike coincides with the possibility of a major U.S. port shutdown from Maine to Texas, as a union representing 45,000 dockworkers is threatening a strike. A prolonged closure could lead to price increases and shortages of goods across North America, just as the holiday shopping season and a tightly contested U.S. presidential election approach.
On Monday, about two dozen workers, carrying signs, stood at two entrances to the 26-kilometre-long port in southeast Montreal, with passing drivers honking in support.
Against a backdrop of grain silos, gantry cranes, and stacks of red and yellow containers, the demonstrators displayed signs with various messages. One sign read "It's time to negotiate" in French, while another advocated for full-time employment over contract work. A more confrontational sign declared, "MEA, it's up to you to decide — respect or war."
Union spokesperson Michel Murray stated on Friday that the union would delay the strike if the employer addressed two key issues: unpredictable shifts and the reduced use of senior forepersons during operations.
The longshore workers’ contract with the Maritime Employers Association expired on December 31, 2023.
One objective of the partial strike is to apply pressure on employers while leaving room for further negotiations and potential job actions, explained Lisa McEwan, co-owner of Hemisphere Freight, a customs brokerage firm.
McEwan emphasized that even a brief two-day strike could significantly disrupt imports into Canada, warning that a prolonged strike would have much graver consequences. "When it gets really bad, ships get stuck out at sea. Nothing moves, everything stays. It causes a domino effect," she said. Rising container prices and delay fees imposed by ocean carriers could eventually drive up costs for consumers, she added.
Transport Minister Anita Anand underscored the importance of the Port of Montreal to Canada's supply chains. "Parties must return to the table and put in the work needed to get a deal done," Anand said in a social media post on Monday. She had recently taken on her new role after Pablo Rodriguez stepped down to pursue leadership of the Quebec Liberal Party.
Canada’s maritime supply chain has experienced several labour disputes in recent years, adding to the delays and disruptions caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.
In July 2023, a 13-day strike by 7,400 dockworkers in British Columbia shut down the country's largest port and cost the economy billions. Last October, an eight-day strike by St. Lawrence Seaway workers halted shipments of essential goods like grain, iron ore, and gasoline. Meanwhile, in Montreal, longshore workers previously went on strike for five days in April 2021 and for 12 days in August 2020, leaving 11,500 containers stranded at the port.
