March 17, 2021

Port of Montreal – Potential Labour Disruption

We have received notice from the Canadian International Freight Forwarders Association (CIFFA), that a potential labour disruption may occur at the Port of Montreal.

This comes following news of the March 15 hearing that took place before the Canada Industrial Relations Board on the issue of the union being said to be negotiating in bad faith. A ruling from the CIRB is expected soon. On March 12, the employer, the Maritime Employers Association, put forth a final offer to the union. This is not an agreement in principle.   The union will send out the final offer to members on March 18 by email and, for those who do not have email, copies of the offer will be available at the Maison des Débardeurs office.   The Port of Montreal will be closed on March 21 from 7:00 am to 3:00 pm for a special meeting of members, during which time the contents of the final offer will be discussed.   The union will follow up with information on timing and format of the meeting in order to facilitate maximum attendance for voting on the final offer.

As the offer is not an agreement in principle, there is a risk that the agreement could be rejected. Should the union reject the MEA offer on Sunday, they will be in a position to provide 72 hour strike notice. Port operations would not likely be impacted before March 24, 2021.

Carson is remaining informed of the potential strike action, and will share updates with clients as they come in.

For any questions, please reach out to transportation@carson.ca.