The Port of Montreal begins its first day of lockout on Monday, in the labor dispute between the Association of Maritime Employers (AEM) and the Union of Longshoremen of the Port of Montreal. A work stoppage which will have “immediate” and major economic consequences if the conflict continues.
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Due to a lack of agreement with the CUPE longshoremen, the AEM initiated a lockout at the port of Montreal on Sunday at 9 p.m.
Members of the longshoremen’s union – CUPE, local section 375 rejected the AEM’s offer by 99.7% during a secret vote held at the general assembly on Sunday morning.
During a press briefing on Monday, the President and CEO of the Montreal Port Authority (MPA), Julie Gascon, warned of the economic repercussions of a prolonged labor conflict, both for Montreal , only for Quebec and all of Canada.
“This lockout does not only concern the 1,200 longshoremen directly affected by the work stoppage, but also has an impact on more than 10,000 workers in the logistics sector, from trucking, to railway employees, including shipping agents and pilots, Ms. Gascon said. Logistics jobs are the first to be affected and this is inevitably the start of a domino effect on the entire economy in the markets we serve.”
If a conflict lasts for several days, the work stoppage will not only jeopardize jobs and revenue for businesses, but will also keep ships away from Canadian docks, reads the Administration’s press release. Port of Montreal (APM).
The President and CEO of the APM reiterated that the longer the labor conflict persists, the more serious the consequences will be. “The longer we wait, the worse it gets,” she commented.
The MPA is concerned about the status of the Canadian supply chain, since all small and large businesses that rely on the import and export of goods will be affected and will have to find “more expensive” or “more expensive” alternatives. simply non-existent,” it was said.
If the work stoppage has major impacts on maritime transport, land transport is also suffering the repercussions, recalled the president of the Quebec Trucking Association, Marc Cadieux, in a press release.
“Nearly 2,000 trucks move through the Port of Montreal every day. The freezing of its activities will have an immediate impact on many carriers who will have to consider layoffs. The ACQ strongly encourages responsible stakeholders to find a solution to relaunch commercial activities as quickly as possible on this nerve center of global trade and not compromise our reputation on the international scene,” he declared.
Only essential services and activities not related to longshoring will continue at the Port of Montreal starting Sunday, November 10 at 9 p.m.
See the full press briefing above.
