The Association of Maritime Employers (AEM) submitted a final and comprehensive offer on Thursday in the hope of ending the deadlock in negotiations with the Port of Montreal union, already affected by cyclical strikes.
Longshoremen who are members of union section 375 affiliated with the Canadian Union of Public Employees (CUPE) have until Sunday at 8 p.m. to respond to this employer offer, which notably provides for cumulative salary increases of more than 20% over 6 years.
“In the absence of an agreement on the offer submitted, and due to his actions, only essential services and activities not related to longshoring will continue at the Port of Montreal as of Sunday, November 10 at 9 p.m.,” threatened the AEM.
In detail, this offer submitted by the AEM provides for a salary increase of 3% per year for 4 years and 3.5% for the following two years, which will bring the average total remuneration of a longshoreman to more than 200,000 $ per year.
“The AEM agrees to this significant increase in remuneration by considering the availability required of its employees,” underlined the organization, which asks longshore workers “a minimum period of one hour to report an absence before a shift” .
While the longshoremen’s union has not yet reacted to the employer’s offer, the AEM says it is prepared to “collaborate in any initiative that could be proposed by the Minister of Labor with a view to reaching a satisfactory agreement between parties as quickly as possible.
