Canada’s labor minister Steven MacKinnon is pushing to appoint a federal mediator to resolve an ongoing labor dispute at the Port of Montreal.
Dockworkers with the Canadian Union of Public Employees (CUPE) at the Port of Montreal conducted a 72-hour work stoppage in late September, and have been on an indefinite overtime strike since October 10. The CUPE Local 375 has been locked in negotiations with the Maritime Employers Association (MEA) over a new collective bargaining agreement for months, after the previous deal expired in December of 2023. In early October, the CUPE claimed that talks had stalled out over how the MEA manages employee scheduling, with the union pushing for a better work-life balance.
On October 15, MacKinnon proposed the appointment of a federal mediator for a 90-day negotiation period to break the deadlock between the two parties. During that time, the union would agree to not go on strike, while the MEA wouldn’t be permitted to lock workers out. Both sides have until the end of the day on October 18 to either accept or reject the labor minister’s offer.
