Employers, union agree to 90-day timeframe

Port of Montreal employers and union dockworkers have mutually agreed to mediation in their contract negotiations.

“Following the decision of the Canada Industrial Relations Board (CIRB) on Nov. 14, the union of Longshoremen of the Port of Montreal (CUPE 375) and the Association of Maritime Employers (MEA) have agreed, by consensus, to undertake a mediation process for a period of 90 days,” the sides said in joint releases.

The parties have agreed to retain the services of Gilles Charland, a dispute resolution specialist. Both sides also agreed not to make any public statements during the mediation process. 

Employers on Nov. 10 locked out workers after CUPE rejected a final contract offer. That capped months of intermittent job actions by the union that operators of the port’s four container terminals said had hurt business to the point they were forced to lay off some employees.

Labor Minister Steven MacKinnon asked CIRB to end lockouts at Montreal and British Columbia ports and send the dispute to binding arbitration.

The Montreal contract dispute centers on pay and automation issues.