The arbitration imposed by Ottawa means the end of a very long conflict at the port of Quebec, locked out for almost 27 months.
• Also read: Ottawa orders the resumption of work at the ports of Montreal and Quebec
• Also read: Lockout at ports: Ottawa would not have been “proactive” enough, according to an expert
If Ottawa ordered the resumption of operations at the port of Montreal on the second day of the lockout, the situation is very different in Quebec, where workers have mixed feelings after approximately 800 days.
This decision by the government therefore puts an end to an endless confrontation. Discussions will now begin to establish a return to work protocol. No date has yet been announced.
If some longshoremen have the impression of having been forgotten all this time, others also have fears about what will be decreed by the referee.
The return to work promises to be very difficult since the animosity between the parties has continued to increase for more than two years.
Photo Jean-François Racine / Le Journal de Québec
“It won’t be done lightly. The government has decided to impose a return to work here on 80 workers. They’ve been on the street for 27 months. The objective is to have an employment contract negotiated between the two parties. This government has given in to pressure from multinationals. Arbitrary decisions are often unfavorable,” said the president of CUPE-Québec, Patrick Gloutney.
In Quebec, the union claims that the employer uses replacement workers to do the work. The federal government passed a law that prevents the use of scabs in labor disputes, but it will only come into force in June 2025. “If this law had been put in place immediately, we would not be here today. We could have avoided that,” added Mr. Gloutney, who did not want to explain the future strategy.
On the picket line, the slogan remains the same. The union says it is a dark day for workers’ rights.
Shortly after learning of the federal minister’s decision, Stéphane Arsenault, president of the Longshoremen’s Union, also denounced a serious attack on the right to negotiate.
“It’s always frowned upon when the government imposes something,” continues Mr. Arsenault. We don’t understand, we’ve been outside for 26 months. They didn’t move and then, all of a sudden, bang!”
The approximately 1,200 dock workers at the Port of Montreal have been locked out since Monday, after more than a year of negotiations.
Arbitration will also be imposed at the Port of Vancouver.
