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Canada's supply chain on the brink as Montreal and BC lockout dockworkers

Posted on November 12, 2024 |

Canada faces a supply chain crisis as terminal operators have locked out dockworkers at Montreal’s port, following a similar action at British Columbia’s West Coast ports.

Dockworkers in Montreal and foremen on the West Coast demand better working conditions, with no contracts in place for months.

Montreal dockworkers rejected a proposed 20% wage increase over six years, claiming it creates a "2-tier workplace" that affects younger workers' job security.

The union representing Montreal dockworkers demands more stable schedules, citing work-life balance as a main reason for the strike, but employers won’t negotiate on this issue.

The Maritime Employers Association set a deadline for a deal by November 10. When it wasn’t met, they locked down Montreal’s port and asked the federal government to step in.

Similar issues around work schedules and automation have delayed contracts on the West Coast, leading to a lockout on November 4.

These ports handle a combined C$1.2 billion in goods daily, with British Columbia’s ports moving US$575 million a day and Montreal about US$300 million. Only grain terminals remain open.

Union leaders claim that employers are using these lockouts to pressure the federal government to intervene in contract disputes.