Longshore workers at the port of Quebec mainly rejected a proposal from a mediator to end the lockout on Friday evening.
The workers gathered at a general assembly voted 70% against the offer which was deemed “insufficient”, indicated the Canadian Union of Public Employees (CUPE), in a press release.
There are 81 members of a local section of CUPE, affiliated with the FTQ.
“It is an act of faith, a very courageous gesture, as well as a message to the employer that after 15 months of lockout, there can be no half-hearted agreement. The parties must return to the negotiating table and find common ground that satisfies both parties,” declared CUPE union advisor Nina Laflamme.
Longshore workers at the port of Quebec have been locked out since September 15, 2022. Negotiations were undertaken in May 2022 and mediation was requested the following month.
The main point in dispute is working hours.
The union deplores the use by the employer, the Société des arrimers de Québec, of replacement workers, namely scabs, to carry out the work during the dispute.