Without a collective agreement since December 31, 320 of the 1,150 longshoremen at the Port of Montreal launched a 72-hour partial strike this Monday. How much do these workers earn? What are their demands? We take stock.
What exactly is a tank top?
A longshoreman essentially loads and unloads cargo containers from ships that dock at the port of Montreal.
How much does a longshoreman earn?
According to the collective agreement which expired on December 31, 2023, the basic hourly rate of a longshoreman is $43.04 per hour.
For a normal 40-hour week, we are therefore talking about a basic annual salary of nearly $90,000.
However, premiums are added when an employee works during meal hours, on public holidays and on weekends or when he is required to work in a refrigerated hold.
Bonuses are also granted depending on the positions held: foremen, senior foremen, gantry crane operators or even moorers.
In 2023, the annual salary of a longshoreman would amount to $150,000 on average.
A partial strike
Last week, the longshore workers rejected the latest employer offer by more than 99% and at the same time adopted a 72-hour strike mandate.
The activities of the Viau and Maisonneuve terminals, operated by the Termont company, are thus paralyzed until Thursday, which represents 41% of the containers passing through the Port of Montreal, according to the Montreal Port Authority.
Salary, working hours and better work-family balance are at the heart of the demands of unionized workers.
– With information from Journalof The Press and Radio-Canada
