Partial strike by dockworkers: the repercussions are already being felt, says the Port

The three-day partial strike by dockworkers at the Port of Montreal is already having an impact after just one day, says the Port of Montreal.

The Montreal Port Authority "has noticed an accumulation of containers on the ground, including temperature-controlled containers of food, pharmaceutical and medical products," it announced on Tuesday.

Around 320 of the 1,300 dockworkers who are members of a local of the Canadian Union of Public Employees, affiliated with the FTQ, were on strike for three days, from Monday morning to Thursday morning, affecting Termont's Viau and Maisonneuve terminals.

"The current work stoppage at the Viau and Maisonneuve terminals is paralysing 40 per cent of total container handling capacity," reports the Port of Montreal.

This partial strike comes amidst a tense situation between the Maritime Employers Association and the union, as the employers' association tried in vain to prevent the work stoppage by going to court on Sunday.

But already, after just one day of partial strike action, the Montreal Port Authority - which is not the employer negotiating with the union - is reporting 11,549 containers of cargo delayed, 1,300 containers of general cargo on the ground and five ships on standby.

'This situation is depriving our customers and partners of 40 per cent of container handling capacity on the St. Lawrence at a crucial time, when goods destined for the holiday season, both import and export, must transit through the Port of Montreal," the Port Authority points out.

Furthermore, the Port of Montreal has not yet recorded any increase in traffic or in forecast traffic despite the strike affecting some 30 ports on the American east coast.

The strike in the United States had already been scheduled for several days, and companies could have chosen Montreal as an alternative. The Port of Montreal is the largest port in eastern Canada.

At a press conference last Friday, the union said that if there was any uncertainty, it was the employers who had caused it.

Negotiations have been going on for about a year. The federal ministers of Transport, Anita Anand, and Labour, Steven MacKinnon, have said they are monitoring the situation closely and have invited the parties to return to the table to negotiate.

-This report by The Canadian Press was first published in French on Oct. 1, 2024.