Longshoremen bargaining in Montreal | The port is “abandoned”, worries a union

The port of Montreal is being “abandoned” in favor of competitors because of the “uncertainty” surrounding the renewal of the collective agreement of its 1,100 longshoremen, say the auditors’ union and the Association of Maritime Employers (AEM). They ask the longshoremen to “quickly” resume negotiations before things get worse.

It only took 48 hours of “intense talks” between the inspectors – who rub shoulders with the longshoremen on the docks – and the AEM to agree on a new six-year employment contract, endorsed by more than 80% of the workers. unionized. By announcing the agreement this Monday, the two parties will challenge the longshore workers, who are represented by the Canadian Union of Public Employees (CUPE).

“The instability and uncertainty caused by the slowness in concluding negotiations means that [le port de Montréal] is neglected for several non-essential cargoes, for the benefit of other ports”, underlines the joint declaration, which The Press was able to consult.

There are approximately 140 auditors at the Port of Montreal. These are mainly responsible for the logistics of loading and unloading containers. Like the longshoremen, whose collective agreement expired on December 31, the AEM is their employer. The two groups have “similar” working conditions, the auditors specify.

Cumulatively, there has been a “worrying decrease” of 24% in container volume since January 2022, say the auditors and the AEM. They acknowledge that this trend is also attributable to the economic slowdown. The trend does not seem to be reversing any time soon. In January, the decline in containerized goods traffic was around 5.2% compared to the same period in 2023.

“The consequences resulting from the lack of progress since last September only risk aggravating an already critical situation for the population served by the Port of Montreal,” argue Local 1657 of the Port of Montreal auditors and the employer.

Last September, The Press reported that managers in the maritime industry were already thinking of plans B to transit goods elsewhere on the coast in the event of a new strike at the Montreal facilities. The port of Vancouver – the largest in the country – was paralyzed by a strike for 13 days last July.

In neutral

The AEM says that after more than 180 days of negotiations with CUPE, the talks have not moved forward. A process to request essential services is still underway before the Canadian Industrial Relations Board (CIRB). It is this specialized quasi-judicial tribunal which must determine which essential services should be maintained in the event of a labor conflict. His decision is still pending. In the meantime, there can be no pressure tactics, strikes or lockouts.

The AEM also filed two complaints with the CIRB for breach of its obligations to negotiate in good faith towards the union. They concern in particular comments made by union representative Michel Murray. In one case, the employer criticizes Mr. Murray for his statements made before the Standing Committee on Transport, Infrastructure and Communities in the Commons on December 7, as part of testimony. Speaking of the AEM, the union representative asserted that “the real decision-makers” were not sitting at the negotiating table, the complaint points out. According to the AEM, this constitutes a “breach” of the provisions of the Canada Labor Code concerning the obligation to negotiate in good faith.

The last walkout at the port of Montreal ended in spring 2021 with the adoption of special legislation by Ottawa. On December 9, 2022, arbitrator André G. Lavoie decreed the terms of the longshoremen’s employment contract, passing the ball back to both parties. Issues like work hours and job security, at the heart of the impasse, must be resolved at the negotiating table, said Mr. Lavoie.

It is in this context that negotiations between CUPE and the AEM resumed last September.