Port of Montreal: employer to suspend “wage guarantee” for dockers

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The Association of Maritime Employers (AEM) announced Saturday morning that it would suspend the “wage guarantee” for longshoremen at the Port of Montreal who will be off work as of Nov. 5 at 7 a.m., with the exception of general longshoremen. sector and essential services.

In a press release, the maritime employers’ association said “this is a mitigation measure aimed at reducing the cumulative financial impact of repeated strikes and falling volumes at the Port of Montreal.”

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The employer is criticizing the Port of Montreal dockworkers’ union (CUPE, Local Section 375) for “deciding to hold an indefinite strike on October 31 that directly blocks two terminals and the handling of 40 per cent of containers delivered to the port.”

The association said it informed the union on Saturday morning of its decision, which will affect container dockers who will not be at work.

“Currently, dockworkers at the Port of Montreal who are on standby but not working due to lack of volume are receiving their full pay each week,” AEM said.

Earlier this week, the association proposed that the union enter into a period of accelerated negotiations, supported by a special mediator appointed by the federal labor minister, to reach a new collective agreement.

In mid-October, Labor Minister Stephen MacKinnon suggested that the parties use a special mediator, chosen from outside the civil service, to try to resolve the dispute. This would require both sides to refrain from any pressure tactics for 90 days.

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The dispute mainly concerns working hours, work-life balance and wages.

The union said it was willing to accept wage increases that were given to cargo workers at the ports of Vancouver and Halifax, for example, 20 per cent over four years.

On Thursday, about 320 of the 1,200 longshore workers at the Port of Montreal walked off the job at the two terminals.

The company was already the target of a partial strike by port workers that lasted three days in early October.

In addition, as of October 10, all port workers refused to work overtime. They also held a 24-hour strike on October 27.

“Since 2022, volumes at the Port of Montreal have fallen and AEM revenues have declined by about 40 per cent. In this context, the actions initiated by the union force AEM to make difficult but necessary decisions to mitigate the financial impact of pressure tactics on the organization,” the association said in a statement.

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