2024-11-08 20:54:00
While the Association of Maritime Employers (AEM) warned that it would decree a lockout of dock workers at the Port of Montreal on Sunday, the intervention of the federal mediation and conciliation service on Friday morning did not allow to bring the parties together.
The local section of the Canadian Union of Public Employees (CUPE) affiliated with the FTQ, which represents the 1,200 longshoremen, and the AEM spent two hours at the Federal Mediation and Conciliation Service on Friday, without making any progress.
The AEM gave notice of a lockout for Sunday at 9 p.m., unless the 1,200 longshoremen accept its final and global offer submitted Thursday evening.
However, “there is not much changed in this offer,” reacted Michel Murray, union advisor for the longshoremen’s union, on Friday. “There are cosmetic changes. »
The union committee was to meet Friday afternoon and decide whether it will submit the offer to its members. Mr. Murray sees “no problem” in submitting it to his members by Sunday, but has little doubt about the result, given the little change, according to him, since the last two offers which were rejected by the members, when by a secret ballot.
According to the Association of Maritime Employers (AEM), the most recent offer provides for a salary increase of more than 20% over six years, or 3% per year for four years and 3.5% for the following two years, including feedback. for the beginning of 2024.
However, the Longshoremen’s Union is demanding the same increases as those granted to longshoremen in Vancouver and Halifax, namely 20% over four years.
He also denies that longshoremen would earn $200,000 in 2029 with the employer’s new offer, as the AEM maintained in a press release. This would imply an hourly wage of $96, while longshore workers receive $51.89 per hour, noted Mr. Murray.
On the thorny issue of working hours – a central aspect of this conflict – the position of the employers’ association would not have changed in the latest offer. “There is nothing in the employers’ filing that addresses the scheduling problem. Zero, zip, not », decided Mr. Murray.
Lowered salary and lockout
As for the threat of a lockout from the employer, Mr. Murray finds it rather ironic that “he has been shouting from the rooftops for four years that a port cannot close. Then he wants to close the port from Sunday.”
He also deplores that the Employers’ Association also lowered the hourly wages of longshoremen, just before declaring its lockout, in order to increase the pressure on their shoulders.
“We informed the employer that we would not make ships other than those with the applicable rates” before the salary drop, said Mr. Murray.
In its Thursday evening press release announcing its lockout, the Employers’ Association maintains that the current negotiation “has major consequences for businesses in Quebec and Canada”, since the value of goods transiting through the port of Montreal reaches nearly 400 million per day, generating $268 million in economic activity.
On Friday, the AEM did not want to comment further, neither during discussions at the Mediation Service nor after the union’s statement to the media.
MacKinnon and Duclos are pressing
In Ottawa, federal Labor Minister Steven MacKinnon once again urged the parties to negotiate at the table and agree to renew the collective agreement.
“It should be fairly simple negotiations; it’s just one category of jobs,” he recalled.
However, these negotiations have been going on for a year. And the last negotiation resulted in a special law which forced the longshoremen to return to work.
“I implore the parties to sit down together and make the necessary compromises,” said Minister MacKinnon.
The Federal Minister of Supply, Jean-Yves Duclos, also pressed both parties. “These parties need to get along. We have known that it has been complicated for several years, that the two parties do not like each other. But here we have to pull ourselves together and find a winning solution for everyone. »
To watch on video
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**Interview with Michel Murray, Union Advisor for the Longshoremen’s Union at the Port of Montreal**
**Host:** Good evening, and thank you for joining us, Michel. As we know, tensions are high at the Port of Montreal due to the ongoing labor dispute. Can you tell us what’s the latest on the negotiations with the Association of Maritime Employers?
**Michel Murray:** Good evening, and thanks for having me. Unfortunately, despite our meeting with the federal mediation service on Friday, there was no significant progress. The employers submitted what they call a ‘final’ offer, but to us, it’s really just more cosmetic changes with no real substance.
**Host:** The employers have mentioned a proposed salary increase of over 20% over six years. What’s your perspective on that?
**Michel Murray:** Yes, they’re proposing a gradual increase of 3% per year for the first four years, followed by 3.5% for the last two years. Our union is actually asking for the same salary increases that were granted to longshoremen in Vancouver and Halifax — a 20% increase over four years. So really, their offer falls short.
**Host:** There are also reports that the Association of Maritime Employers is threatening a lockout if the new offer isn’t accepted. How do you view this move?
**Michel Murray:** It’s quite ironic, really. For four years, they’ve claimed that a port closing would be catastrophic, yet they threaten to do exactly that. We believe this is just an attempt to apply pressure on our members, especially after they have lowered the hourly wage prior to declaring a lockout.
**Host:** Regarding working conditions, especially the scheduling aspect, how are you seeing the employers’ response?
**Michel Murray:** There hasn’t been any change on their part concerning work hours. The recent offer does not address our scheduling issues at all. It’s frustrating because this is a central concern for the workers.
**Host:** The economic implications of the strike are significant, with $400 million worth of goods transiting through the port each day. How do you think resolving this conflict could impact the local economy?
**Michel Murray:** Absolutely, the economic stakes are incredibly high. Our goal is to reach a fair agreement that respects our workers’ rights and needs, which in turn ensures the smooth operation of the port and its contribution to the economy. A lockout or continued strike will have serious ramifications for businesses across Quebec and Canada.
**Host:** Thank you for sharing your insights, Michel. It’s a complex situation, and we hope for a resolution soon.
**Michel Murray:** Thank you for having me. Let’s hope for a swift end to this dispute.
