Dockworkers at Port of Montreal continue labour action with partial unlimited strike

MONTREAL – After holding a 24-hour strike on Sunday, dockworkers at the Port of Montreal have decided to continue their pressure tactics with a general strike at two terminals.
The union representing nearly 1,200 longshore workers at the country’s second biggest port announced a job action will begin Thursday at 11 a.m. at the same two container terminals affected by a three-day strike earlier this month and continue until further notice.
Workers with the Syndicat des débardeurs du port de Montréal have also refused to work overtime shifts since Oct. 10.
The union says the terminals that will be impacted by the unlimited strike starting Thursday are operated by Termont and are responsible for about 40 per cent of container traffic.
Dockworkers have been without a collective agreement since Dec. 31, 2023, with issues including salaries, scheduling and work-life balance at the heart of negotiations.
Earlier this month federal Labour Minister Steven MacKinnon proposed appointing a special mediator so the parties can resume negotiations without a lockout or strike for 90 days, but that offer was rejected.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Oct. 28, 2024.