Montreal dockworkers' union to challenge minister's binding arbitration decision
Port workers in B.C. also plan to challenge decision
The union representing Montreal dockworkers is preparing to legally contest the federal labour minister’s decision to end a lockout at the port by sending the dispute to binding arbitration.
This action follows a similar move by the union representing locked-out workers at the Port of Vancouver, who also plan to challenge the federal government’s intervention to end their work stoppage.
The Maritime Employers Association initiated the lockout of 1,200 longshore workers at the Port of Montreal on Sunday night after the workers voted to reject what the association described as its final contract offer.
The Montreal lockout comes in the wake of a separate labour dispute in British Columbia, where more than 700 longshore supervisors were locked out last week, halting container cargo traffic at West Coast terminals.
On Tuesday, Labour Minister Steven MacKinnon intervened in both disputes, directing the Canada Industrial Relations Board to mandate the resumption of all operations and to send both sets of negotiations to binding arbitration.
Teamsters Canada is also challenging Ottawa’s use of the same arbitration mechanism to resolve a nationwide rail work stoppage that occurred earlier this year.
