The Maritime Employers Association (MEA) has locked out members of the Port of Montreal dockworkers’ union (Syndicat des débardeurs du port de Montréal) after union members rejected the employers’ latest offer on Sunday (November 10). Approximately 1,200 longshore workers are directly impacted, along with thousands of workers that are part of the supply chain, such as trucking and railway employees.
This disruption adds to the strain on Canada’s supply chains and economy as Ports in British Columbia face similar challenges.
The Port of Montreal has been operating at below its container-handling capacity since dockworkers at two terminals started a general strike on October 31st.
As Canada’s second-largest port, the Port of Montreal typically handles nearly C$400 million of goods a day. The BC ports (including Vancouver, Prince Rupert and Nanaimo)handle C$800 million worth of cargo per day.