Port of Montreal employers file final offer...and lockout notice
Employers at the Port of Montreal presented their "final and comprehensive" offer to longshoremen on Thursday. If they refuse this proposal, they will trigger a lockout on Sunday evening at 9 p.m.
On Thursday, employers at the Port of Montreal presented their "final and comprehensive" offer to longshoremen. If the proposal is rejected, a lockout will be implemented on Sunday at 9 p.m.
The Maritime Employers Association (MEA) outlined a proposal that includes a salary increase of over 20% across six years—3% per year for the first four years, and 3.5% for the next two, retroactive to the beginning of 2024.
The longshoremen's union had previously indicated a willingness to accept the wage increases seen at the ports of Vancouver and Halifax, where workers received a 20% raise over four years.
Employers argue that the proposed contract would bring average annual compensation for dockworkers to over $200,000, with increases also applied to pensions and benefits. In return, the MEA is requesting that workers give at least one hour's notice before missing a shift, in order to better manage absences that disrupt operations.
The Syndicat des débardeurs du Port de Montréal, affiliated with the Canadian Union of Public Employees, is being asked to respond to the offer by 8 p.m. on Sunday, with the threat of a lockout set for the following hour.
During a lockout, only essential services unrelated to longshore operations would continue at the port. The MEA emphasized that the ongoing negotiations have significant consequences for businesses in Quebec and Canada, given the nearly $400 million worth of goods processed daily through the Port of Montreal, generating $268 million in economic activity.
The MEA expressed openness to collaborating on initiatives proposed by the Labour Minister to reach an agreement.
Since October 31, dockworkers have been engaged in an unlimited partial strike that has affected the Viau and Maisonneuve terminals operated by Termont. Additionally, dockworkers have been refusing overtime since October 10.
Earlier this month, Labour Minister Steven MacKinnon suggested using a special mediator, but the offer was not accepted. He has since confirmed that the proposal remains on the table. The collective bargaining process has been ongoing for a year, with the previous round in 2021 resulting in a law mandating a return to work.
