Port of Montreal workers at two terminals start new strike, employer group says
Adds comments by employer group, union and labor minister; adds details on impact of strike; from paragraph 2 on
Oct 31 (Reuters) -Unionizedworkers started an unlimited strike at two terminals of the port of Montreal on Thursday amid stalled talks on a new labor contract, the employers' association said.
The strike affects two terminals operated by Termont, which handle about 40% of the port's container traffic but only about 15% of the port's overall volumes.
In a statement, the Maritime Employers Association called on federal Labour Minister Steven MacKinnon to intervene to bring parties back to the negotiating table.
"The uncertainty caused by this long delay and the recurrence of labor disputes are affecting the Quebec and Canadian economies, and Canada's reputation as a reliable and resilient trading partner," said the Maritime Employers Association when the strike commenced on Thursday.
Commodities like Western Canadian pulse crops are significant users of the terminals.
The union has said that it has focused actions on Termont because of employer-specific complaints.
"Termont is targeted because it is the only company at the Port of Montreal to modify schedules in a punitive way," Canadian Union of Public Employees 375, which represents the longshore workers, said on Oct. 28.
Federal Labour Minister Steven MacKinnon said the federal government remained willing to help with mediation.
"Parties must find a process leading to a negotiated agreement as quickly as possible. Federal mediators and Minister MacKinnon remain available to assist them, and we continue to monitor the situation closely," MacKinnon said in a statement.
The employer's association previously asked for federal intervention.
Reporting by David Ljunggren
Editing by Chris Reese and Leslie Adler
Latest News
Disclaimer: The XM Group entities provide execution-only service and access to our Online Trading Facility, permitting a person to view and/or use the content available on or via the website, is not intended to change or expand on this, nor does it change or expand on this. Such access and use are always subject to: (i) Terms and Conditions; (ii) Risk Warnings; and (iii) Full Disclaimer. Such content is therefore provided as no more than general information. Particularly, please be aware that the contents of our Online Trading Facility are neither a solicitation, nor an offer to enter any transactions on the financial markets. Trading on any financial market involves a significant level of risk to your capital.
All material published on our Online Trading Facility is intended for educational/informational purposes only, and does not contain – nor should it be considered as containing – financial, investment tax or trading advice and recommendations; or a record of our trading prices; or an offer of, or solicitation for, a transaction in any financial instruments; or unsolicited financial promotions to you.
Any third-party content, as well as content prepared by XM, such as: opinions, news, research, analyses, prices and other information or links to third-party sites contained on this website are provided on an “as-is” basis, as general market commentary, and do not constitute investment advice. To the extent that any content is construed as investment research, you must note and accept that the content was not intended to and has not been prepared in accordance with legal requirements designed to promote the independence of investment research and as such, it would be considered as marketing communication under the relevant laws and regulations. Please ensure that you have read and understood our Notification on Non-Independent Investment. Research and Risk Warning concerning the foregoing information, which can be accessed here.
