Union sets overtime work stoppage

Fresh off a one-day strike Sunday, unionized dockworkers at the Port of Montreal voted to hold another strike this week.

The partial, unlimited strike by 1,200 longshore employees against two Tremont terminals is slated to begin at 11 a.m. local time Thursday, according to published reports.  

Earlier this month the Tremont facilities were hit by a three-day overtime strike at Canada’s second-busiest port.

Members of the Quebec Federation of Workers (FTQ) local, affiliated with the Canadian Union of Public Employees, are protesting on issues of pay, work-life balance and scheduling.

The Canadian Federation of Independent Businesses said in a statement Sunday that the union’s actions were affecting small and medium-size businesses ahead of the holiday retail season. The group called on the federal government to ensure that the port remained open.

The longshore contract expired Dec. 31, 2023. Dockworkers have refused to work overtime since Oct. 10.