Longshore workers at the Port of Montreal have launched a general, unlimited strike Monday morning, as negotiations with their employer remain in deadlock.
Canadian Union of Public Employees spokesperson Michel Murray confirmed that CUPE Local 375 is going ahead with its plan to strike after giving 72-hour notice last week.
Murray said on Radio-Canada's Tout un matin that "there's no good moment" for a strike, and that containers with medical supplies will still be allowed to pass through the port.
The Port Authority of Montreal said in a statement after receiving the union's notice that it is worried that the strike comes amid an economic crisis caused by the pandemic.
"A prolonged stoppage in port operations has major repercussions for Canadian businesses that depend on international trade and, ultimately, for the supply of goods and services to the public," the statement said.
Ships destined for the port have already been rerouted for the past two weeks as the longshore workers staged two four-day strikes.
The 1,125 longshoremen, foremen and maintenance workers on the waterfront in Montreal have been without a collective agreement for nearly two years.
Murray described the action as a pressure tactic as the union continues to negotiate with the Maritime Employers Association.
The association said it contacted the union Sunday night in hope of avoid the strike, and that it still believes an agreement can be reached through binding arbitration.
"The line of communication remains open," said a spokesperson for the association.
In 2015, longshore workers across Quebec earned an average of $110,000 before benefits, according to figures from the province's Labour Ministry.
Murray says the conflict is largely over work-life balance, with union members having to work late nights, early mornings and holidays.
"If they earn this salary, it's because they're available seven days a week," he said. "There is no stability for the family life of a longshoreman"
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August 10, 2020 at 07:52PM
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Port of Montreal longshore workers launch unlimited strike - CBC.ca
"strike" - Google News
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