Lockout begins at Port of Montreal after new contract offer rejected

The Port of Montreal Longshore Union CUPE Local 375 has rejected the final offer from the Maritime Employers Association (MEA) resulting in a lockout at the port.

“This lockout affects not only the 1,200 longshoremen directly impacted by the work stoppage, but it also impacts over 10,000 workers in the logistics sector, from trucking and railway employees to maritime agents and pilots,” said Julie Gascon, CEO of the Montreal Port Authority (MPA). “Logistics jobs are the first to be affected, which inevitably sets off a domino effect throughout the entire economy in the markets we serve.”

According to Gascon, each day of the conflict drives ships further from Canadian docks and jeopardizes jobs and revenue for businesses. With reports indicating that shipping lines are already diverting their vessels to other East Coast ports, the MPA’s CEO is concerned about Canada’s supply chain reputation as a reliable destination for goods transportation in North America. Gascon said when the supply chain is disrupted, both small and large companies that rely on importing and exporting goods are forced to find alternatives that are often more costly or simply non-existent.

The MEA said in a statement that it deplores the negative outcome of the vote held by the Montréal Longshoremen’s Union on the final and comprehensive offer tabled Nov. 7, and that it had no choice but to declare a lockout as of 9 p.m. Nov 10.

In this context, the MEA said it reiterates its request to Minister of Labour Steven MacKinnon to intervene to resolve the impasse as quickly as possible.

“A number of economic and maritime players across the country have made the same request in recent weeks to get things moving,” stated the MEA. “Like the MEA, they all want this dispute to be resolved so that Québec and Canadian businesses can no longer be held hostage and rely on predictable and uninterrupted operations at the Port of Montréal.”

The MEA said its final offer provided for a three per cent salary increase per year for four years and a 3.5 per cent increase for the two subsequent years, retroactive to the beginning of 2024. When the contract expires, the total average compensation of a longshore worker at the Port of Montréal would be more than $200,000 per year.

The MEA said it also maintained for Montréal longshoremen several unique benefits not available to their colleagues in other Canadian ports, including a pension plan, fully paid by the employer and entirely managed by the union, as well as an income guarantee that allows longshore workers to receive their wages even when they are not working. The proposed increases would also apply to the current pension plan, income guarantee and other actual benefits.

Marc Cadieux, president of the Association du camionnage du Québec (ACQ), emphasizes that this conflict does not only affects maritime transportation but also directly impacts land transportation and the hundreds of jobs associated with it.

“Nearly 2,000 trucks move through the Port of Montreal every day. The freezing of its activities will have an immediate impact on many carriers who may have to consider layoffs,” he said. “The ACQ strongly urges the responsible stakeholders to find a solution to restart commercial activities at this crucial point of global trade as soon as possible and avoid compromising our reputation on the international stage.”