The US port workers have shown themselves to be reluctant to embark on extended strike action, the Canadian dockers appear not to be. The strife at the port of Montreal has become so bad that the management has ‘locked-out’ the workforce, whilst dockworkers in Vancouver have now been on strike for a week.
The management of the port of Montreal, represented by the Maritime Employers Association said on Sunday 10th that it had declared “a lockout as of 9 p.m. this evening” because the Montréal Longshoremen’s Union had voted to reject what it called “the final and comprehensive offer” made on Thursday last week. The employers commented that the offer “provided for a 3% salary increase per year for four years and a 3.5% increase for the two subsequent years”. It is believed that the Longshoremen’s Union is looking to match the offer to dock workers in Vancouver and Halifax which was a pay increase of 20% over four years.
The Maritime Employers Association stated that it hoped that the Canadian Federal Government would involve itself in attempting to resolve the dispute.
The seriousness of the strike is amplified by the similar situation in Vancouver, where the dock workers have been on strike for a week. As in the case of Montreal, there are differences over pay increases. Negotiations are continuing between the employers and the ILWU union.
The impact of these strikes has been significant. The container operations of Canadian Pacific Kansas City and Canadian National railways are no longer taking containers for export however it appears that agri-bulk cargoes are still being handled. There are media reports that substantial cargoes are being diverted to US ports. Other Canadian ports continue to work, notably Halifax and the port of St Johns.
In contrast to the various threatened disruptions in US container terminals over the past couple of years there does not appear to be too much political energy around these strikes. It is unclear if either the Provincial or Federal governments can help resolve them.
Source: Ti Insight
Author: Thomas Cullen
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