Amidst ongoing waterfront labour conflicts on Canada’s West Coast, a work stoppage has been threatened by longshoremen at the Port of Montreal, eastern Canada’s leading container gateway. It all adds up to potential unprecedented supply chain jams in North America with dockers at U.S. East and Gulf Coast ports seemingly headed for an October 1 strike.
By virtual unanimity, the nearly 1200 dockers at the Port of Montreal late Wednesday gave their union a mandate to call a strike at a time of its choosing. In a separate vote, the dockers overwhelmingly rejected the latest offer from the Maritime Employers Association (MEA).
While expressing hope that an agreement can still be reached, the MEA has recalled that no industrial action can be exercised without a three-day notice.
The union is reportedly seeking a 20% wage increase over four years as well as better work-life balance for its members.
Earlier this year, the MEA lost a bid with the Canada Industrial Relations Board to have longshore work designated as an “essential service” – thereby banning dockers from staging a strike.
Montreal dockers last hit the picket lines in April 2021 and were forced back to work by Federal government legislative intervention.
This past August, the federal government intervened to end a simultaneous lockout by Canadian National (CN) and Canadian Pacific Kansas City (CPKC) railways by ordering the CIRB to impose mandatory arbitration 18 hours after the work stoppage began. The decision was strongly supported by business circles concerned over the labour conflict’s impact on the North American supply chain and on Canada’s reputation as a trading partner.
But Ottawa’s intervention was a big red flag for the longshore unions in Canada. In what was termed “an unprecedented response to a serious blunder,” the leaders from the unions representing longshoremen in the ports of Montreal, Vancouver and Halifax staged a joint press conference in late August to assail federal interference in the railway conflict and to seek re-assurances that similar intervention would not apply to the longshore sector.
At the Montreal press conference, the longshore unions indicated they sent a letter to the federal labour minister asking if it was his intention to resort to “forced arbitration” in the event of a strike or lockout in the longshore sector. If so, “the longshoremen of Canada will mobilise,” warned union advisor Michel Murray.
West Coast ongoing conflicts
On the West Coast, workers at six grain terminals in Metro Vancouver walked off their jobs this past Tuesday in a strike that will have what Canadian grain growers termed a “devastating” impact on the industry.
More than 600 workers represented by Grain Workers Union Local 333 headed to the picket lines after negotiations collapsed with the Vancouver Terminal Elevators Association (VTEA) for a new collective agreement.
Facilities affected include Viterra's Cascadia and Pacific Terminals, Richardson International Terminal, Cargill Limited Terminal, G3 Terminal Vancouver and Alliance Grain Terminal.
“Grain farmers in the Prairies rely heavily on the Port of Vancouver to handle and export the majority of the grain they grow,” declared the Grain Growers of Canada. “Following last month’s rail work stoppages, this strike will have an equally devastating impact on grain farmers across the Prairies who are in the midst of harvest.”
More than half of all Canadian-grown grain last year moved through the affected terminals. The industry group said, adding that the strike will halt 100,000 metric tons of commodities arriving at the terminals each day and cost C$35 million daily in lost exports.
Meanwhile, unionized longshore foremen in British Colombia ports – including Vancouver and Prince Rupert – remain deadlocked with their maritime employers over a new collective agreement.
Earlier this month, the British Columbia Maritime Employers Association (BCMEA) was informed by International Longshore and Warehouse Union Local 514 that the union received a strong mandate from its members to take strike action. The union represents 730 foremen whose current collective agreement expired on March 31, 2023.
Thus far, neither party has issued the required 72-hour notice of strike or lockout, nor have there been any labour disruptions. Regular cargo and passenger operations at BC ports have continued uninterrupted.
But it is another element currently compounding uncertainties for cargo owners and shippers relying on Canadian ports.
