Montreal dockworkers hold one-day strike to put pressure on employer
Dockworkers at the Port of Montreal walked off the job early Sunday for a one-day strike aimed at putting pressure on their employer amid difficult contract talks.
The union representing nearly 1,200 longshore workers at the country's second biggest port served notice Thursday for a complete work stoppage from 7 a.m. Sunday until Monday morning.
The move comes on top of an ongoing strike on overtime shifts and a three-day strike at two container terminals that ended earlier this month.
The Maritime Employers Association says the work stoppage includes the Montreal port and the Contrecoeur terminal, but activities related to grain vessels and the supply of Newfoundland and Labrador will be maintained in line with a July decision of the Canadian Industrial Relations Board.
"The MEA hopes that upcoming discussions with the Federal Mediation and Conciliation Service will be fruitful and will lead to a return to the negotiation table to quickly reach a negotiated collective agreement," the company wrote in a news release on Saturday. It said last week that the parties remain at an impasse after 35 mediation meetings over 15 months.
A spokesperson for the union said the striking workers were holding a special general assembly Sunday morning but did not release details of the agenda and did not make anyone available for an interview.
The Canadian Federation of Independent Businesses said in a statement that the union's actions are affecting small and medium-sized businesses, especially ahead of the busy holiday shopping season.
"It's time the federal government made ports an essential service, so that they remain operational at all times," wrote Jasmin Guenette, the federation's national affairs vice-president.
The workers have been without a collective agreement since December 31, 2023.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Oct. 27, 2024.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Families of Paul Bernardo's victims not allowed to attend parole hearing in person, lawyer says
The families of the victims of Paul Bernardo have been barred from attending the serial killer’s upcoming parole hearing in person, according to the lawyer representing the loved ones of Kristen French and Leslie Mahaffy.
'Bomb cyclone' batters B.C. coast with hurricane-force winds, downing trees onto roads and vehicles
Massive trees toppled onto roads, power lines and parked cars as hurricane-force winds battered the B.C. coast overnight during an intense “bomb cyclone” weather event.
Leon's, The Brick under investigation for alleged 'deceptive marketing'
Popular furniture and appliance retailers Leon's Furniture Limited and its subsidiary, The Brick Warehouse LP, are under investigation for alleged 'deceptive marketing.'
'They squandered 10 years of opportunity': Canada Post strike exposes longtime problems, expert says
Canada Post is at ‘death's door’ and won't survive if it doesn't dramatically transform its business, a professor who has studied the Crown corporation is warning as the postal workers' national strike drags on.
BREAKING Canada closes embassy in Ukraine after U.S. receives information on 'potential significant air attack'
The Embassy of Canada to Ukraine, located in Kyiv, has temporarily suspended in-person services after U.S. officials there warned they'd received information about a 'potential significant air attack,' cautioning citizens to shelter in place if they hear an air alert.
Susan Smith to ask parole board for her freedom after serving 30 years for drowning her children
Susan Smith, the South Carolina mother convicted of killing her two sons by rolling her car into a lake in 1994 with the boys strapped in their seats inside, will ask a parole board for her freedom on Wednesday.
Burlington, Ont. woman accused of accepting money for fake Taylor Swift tickets
As Taylor Swift is set to perform her final three sold-out shows at the Rogers Centre this week, many people who have fallen victim to an alleged ticket scam are trying to find answers to what happened.
BREAKING Calgary gorilla died after being hit by a door: officials
The Calgary Zoo says its two-year-old western lowland gorilla named Eyare died after being hit by a hydraulic door at the rear of the exhibit.
opinion Tom Mulcair: Is Justin Trudeau just playing out the clock?
Former NDP leader Tom Mulcair says Canada is facing critical issues that need an active, engaged federal government right now; but Prime Minister Trudeau seems to be running out the clock before the next election.