It had been announced with 72 hours’ notice by the local union affiliated with the Canadian Union of Public Employees (CUPE).
According to the Maritime Employers’ Association (MEA), the strike affects two terminals, Viau terminal and Maisonneuve, where operations have been halted until Thursday morning.
The dispute is over the renewal of the national dockworkers contract, which expired on 31st December last year.
The trade union association stated that it had tried everything to avoid the strike, but, over the last few months, it had failed to reach an agreement with employers.
Last week, 99.63% of the 1,150 dockworkers at the Port of Montreal rejected the latest offer from the Maritime Employers Association.
The MEA said that as soon as they learn of specific demands through the media, they would examine them prior to making further comments: “With cargo handled by Montréal longshore workers already down 24% since 2022, we have a joint responsibility to secure a signed collective agreement as soon as possible.”
Meanwhile, a number of shipping companies are already beginning to reroute goods from the port of Montreal, the second largest in the country, due to concerns over union disruption.
Translation by Giles Foster
