Port of Montreal longshoremen to hold another partial but unlimited strike

Shipping containers are moved in the Port of Montreal, Monday, Sept. 30, 2024. Port of Montreal longshore workers have started a three-day strike at two terminals. (Christinne Muschi / The Canadian Press)

At a general meeting on Sunday, longshoremen at the Port of Montreal decided to hold another partial strike, indefinitely.

This strike, starting at 11a.m. on Thursday, will once again affect the two Termont terminals. These are the same terminals that were affected by a three-day partial strike at the beginning of October.

This time, however, the partial strike affecting Termont's two terminals will be indefinite, the Canadian Union of Public Employees, affiliated to the FTQ, announced on Monday.

The union, which represents 1,200 longshoremen, had already held a 24-hour walkout on Sunday.

In addition, its members have been refusing to work overtime since 10 October.

In mid-October, the federal Minister of Labour, Steven MacKinnon, proposed a special 90-day mediation to the parties — a period during which there could not be any lock-out or strike — but his offer was not accepted.

The collective agreement of this local of the Canadian Union of Public Employees (CUPE), affiliated to the QFL, expired on Dec. 31, 2023.

The dispute concerns scheduling, work-life balance and wages.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published in French on Oct. 28, 2024.