Employers back off threat to use replacement staff in Port of Montreal strike
The Maritime Employers Association (MEA) announced late Wednesday that it would not resort to using replacement workers in an effort to move nearly 500 containers loaded with cargo deemed essential from the strike-bound Port of Montreal.
The MEA announced via a statement that both sides in the labour dispute had “agreed to meet in order to evaluate the contents of the containers to be moved” and “no replacement workers will be used.”
The announcement comes after the striking Syndicat des débardeurs du Port de Montréal had urged unions across the province to reinforce picket lines at the port Thursday morning if replacement workers were deployed.
On Wednesday morning, the MEA called upon the union to move 477 containers deemed to contain essential merchandise including pharmaceuticals, perishable foods, medical equipment, dangerous materials and raw sugar. MEA president Martin Tessier left the door open to using replacement workers.
“Many containers hold very important goods that we need to move,” Tessier told reporters in Montreal. “We’ve sent the union a letter to say we would much rather have unionized workers move the cargo instead of managers or replacement workers. The union has the right to strike, but if they are not able to move those containers, we will have no other choice than to use replacement workers.”
Tessier’s appeal coincided with an offer by the union to commit to a 60-day truce in the strike in exchange for negotiations. The MEA countered the offer by attaching an undefined condition calling for an “obligation of result,” a proviso the union interpreted as leading to a process of arbitration should no settlement be reached at the end of the truce — and one they rejected.
But Tessier insisted that only a contract approved by both sides would end the dispute.
Union representative Michel Murray expressed concerns that it would be necessary to confirm the contents of the containers the MEA wants moved, noting that cargos of perfume or wine shipments can expect to remain right where they are.