Union members have begun a three-day strike at two terminals of the Port of Montreal. This comes as negotiations for a new contract have yet to result in a labor agreement, according to reports from Canadian port authorities.
The partial shutdown will affect the Viau and Maisonneuve terminals, which together account for about 40% of the port’s container traffic. Operations are expected to remain closed until the morning of Thursday, October 3rd.
“The Montreal Port Authority expresses its disappointment that no agreement has been reached between the Maritime Employers Association (MEA) and the Longshoremen’s Union to prevent a work stoppage”, stated the port. Each day of the work stoppage jeopardizes $90.7 million in economic activity, the port added. The union did not immediately respond to a request for comments from Reuters.
Discussions between the MEA and the unions remain stalled over wage issues. The President of the port authority, Julie Gascon, had previously stated that she expected a strike to have a ripple effect on importers, exporters, and the general public.
Montreal is the largest container port in Eastern Canada and represented 3.5% of Canada’s GDP in 2022, Gascon noted, adding that approximately CAD 6 billion worth of goods are expected to arrive at the Port of Montreal in the coming weeks.
Source: PortalPortuario
