99.31% voted for the Port of Montreal Longshoremen strike

Without an employment contract from 2018, the Montreal Port Longshoremen have demonstrated their strong mobilization.

Also read: Longshoremen’s strike: The business community is increasingly concerned

Those affiliated with the Canadian Union of Public Employees (CUPE) renewed their strike order by 99.31%. Last February, a similar choice won the support of 98.12% of union members.

“It gives a lot of encouragement to the wings and negotiating team,” said Michael Murray, a spokeswoman for the LongShoremens Union. Newspaper. It is definitely a pleasure to work for workers who put such faith in us. “

The strike vote is valid for 60 days. Every two months, members are contacted to renew their strike order. This order empowers their representatives to call a strike at any time with 72 hours notice to the employer.

Yesterday, the Maritime Employers Association (AEM) declined to comment on the situation. The same is true for the administration of the Port of Montreal, recalling through its representative voice that it did not maintain a direct contractual relationship with the Longshoremen.

The Port of Montreal’s 1,115 longshoremen are paid an average of 5,000 to 115,000, 000 to 120,000 a year. They are asking for more vacation, a review on their availability for work and a better work-family balance.

Negotiations stalled last summer after a 22-day strike action. On March 21, at the end of the seven-month truce desired by all parties, the employer’s offer was rejected at a rate of 99.7%.

Negotiations have since resumed in the presence of mediators. In response to the MEA suspension of certain wage conditions, the union went on a “partial strike”. Overtime is suspended and from now on, Long Shoremen will no longer work on Saturdays and Sundays.

Tension is rising. Concerned, representatives of employers’ groups on Tuesday called for the “immediate intervention” of Federal Labor Minister Philomena Tassi to prevent the situation from deteriorating further.