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DOCK WORKERS IN THE PORT OF MONTREAL WILL BEGIN A ONE-DAY STRIKE THIS SUNDAY AS PART OF THE UNION'S HEIGHTENED PRESSURE IN CONTRACT NEGOTIATIONS WITH THE MARITIME EMPLOYERS ASSOCIATION (MEA). Despite the limited impact of the temporary stoppage, the MEA warned that the strike could exacerbate freight losses in the Port of Montreal.

The Canadian Union of Public Employees (CUPE) Local 375 will cease operations at all port facilities 24 hours a day Sunday morning through Monday, the MEA said in a statement on Thursday. The concrete impact of the strike on operations remains unclear due to the closure of truck exits at the container terminal on Sunday, but work including crane operations, ship docking and container loading will be suspended altogether.

The Montreal Port Authority (MPA) noted in a statement to Business Journal that only two cruise ships are expected to dock on Sunday and no international container ships are expected to arrive. The strike by Local 375 extends an overtime boycott in early October and a three-day shutdown of Montreal's main container terminal.

“These pressure strategies by trade unions have severely impacted port operations and pose challenges to supply chain stability in the Port of Montreal and Quebec and across Canada,” MEA said.

Karl-Heinz Legler, general manager of Rutherford Global Logistics, in charge of Montreal Freight, said the three-day strike and overtime boycott had put some pressure on port business but had not yet had a major impact. However, he warned that further strike action could lead to more serious delays.

“The situation is fine at the moment, but business operations will be difficult if the frequency of stoppages increases or the time is extended,” Legler said.

He pointed out that there are limited alternatives to avoiding the disruption of the Port of Montreal. Cargoes can be transferred to Montreal via the West Coast Harbor Railroad or transferred to Montreal after unloading at Port Halifax. However, the limited choice of exporters, especially heavy goods such as steel, grain and forest products, cannot be easily transported to other ports by rail or truck.

“As the situation worsens and operations decrease, our options are limited,” said a senior executive at a Montreal third-party logistics company. These alternative routes are uncompetitive due to the weight of the freight we transport beyond rail constraints.”

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