(Reuters) – Unionized workers started an unlimited strike at two terminals of the port of Montreal on Thursday amid stalled talks on a new labor contract, the employers’ association said.
The strike affects two terminals operated by Termont, which handle about 40% of the port’s container traffic but only about 15% of the port’s overall volumes.
In a statement, the Maritime Employers Association called on federal Labour Minister Steven MacKinnon to intervene to bring parties back to the negotiating table.
“The uncertainty caused by this long delay and the recurrence of labor disputes are affecting the Quebec and Canadian economies, and Canada’s reputation as a reliable and resilient trading partner,” said the Maritime Employers Association when the strike commenced on Thursday.
Commodities like Western Canadian pulse crops are significant users of the terminals.
The union has said that it has focused actions on Termont because of employer-specific complaints.
“Termont is targeted because it is the only company at the Port of Montreal to modify schedules in a punitive way,” Canadian Union of Public Employees 375, which represents the longshore workers, said on Oct. 28.
Federal Labour Minister Steven MacKinnon said the federal government remained willing to help with mediation.
“Parties must find a process leading to a negotiated agreement as quickly as possible. Federal mediators and Minister MacKinnon remain available to assist them, and we continue to monitor the situation closely,” MacKinnon said in a statement.
The employer’s association previously asked for federal intervention.
(Reporting by David Ljunggren; Editing by Chris Reese and Leslie Adler)