Canada’s labour minister, Steve McKinnon, is trying to breathe new life into the stalled contract negotiations between Montreal dockworkers and the Maritime Employers Association (MEA), suggesting the appointment of a special mediator to hammer out an agreement. In a social media post, the minister said the two sides had until tomorrow accept or reject the…
Employers warn of possible port shutdown Employers warned an overtime strike by union dockworkers at the Port of Montreal could lead to a shutdown of cargo operations at the eastern Canada maritime hub. The work stoppage by Longshoremen’s Union Local 375 began Thursday after terminals and shipping lines asked the union to withdraw its overtime…
Quaysides across North America’s east coast have been simmering with protests all year. While this hit a crescendo last week with a three-day strike across America’s east and Gulf coasts, north of the border the industrial impasse continues. Dockworkers at Montreal, Canada’s largest eastern port, had a three-day strike last week too, and have announced…
Labour tensions are rising at the Port of Montreal in the countdown to an “indefinite strike”, while carriers push to hike rates on the transatlantic. The Port of Montreal Longshoremen’s Union has issued an overtime strike notice to begin at 7am on 10 October, set to last indefinitely. This follows a three-day strike that halted…
Canada’s Maritime Employers’ Association (MEA) said yesterday that dockworkers have called a strike at the Port of Montreal, which will see two terminals closed from Monday morning at 7.00 am. The MEA said it had received a strike notice from CUPE Local 375, that two Termont terminals (Viau and Maisonneuve Terminals) will not reopen until…
By Thomas Seal (Bloomberg) — Grain workers at Canada’s biggest port went on strike Tuesday over a dispute regarding hours and pay, setting up what an industry association called a “devastating” situation for farmers during the harvest season. The Grain Workers Union Local 333 served a 72-hour strike notice on Saturday, and the measure took effect at 7 a.m. Pacific…
A US east and Gulf coast port strike “looks certain” for 1 October, as talks between the International Longshoremen’s Association (ILA) and employers the US Maritime Alliance (USMX) flounder over wages increases and terminal automation. Last week, the USMX said: “While there are fewer than three weeks remaining until the expiration of our current agreement,…
The Canadian rail lockout of union employees that went into effect on Thursday and threatened to disrupt North American logistics lasted only eighteen hours. Friday’s order by the Minister of Labor ended the lockout and required the start of binding arbitration for the carriers and union. The Teamsters issued a strike announcement soon after but…
Pre-shutdown contingencies helped keep shipments moving, industry insiders say In Canada, railroad union contract talks and trains came to a near-simultaneous halt, but shippers and logistics executives said the recovery has been almost as swift. “The work stoppage situation was resolved so quickly, we are not seeing much impact on the recovery,” Shelli Austin, president,…
By Brian Platt and Monique Mulima (Bloomberg) — Canada’s two largest railways are preparing to restart operations after Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s government stepped in to try to end a labor dispute that has stopped freight movement across the country. Labor Minister Steven MacKinnon asked the Canada Industrial Relations Board to impose binding arbitration on Canadian National Railway…
