Montreal port to resume cargo activity after government strike intervention

Container and bulk terminals at the Port of Montreal will open for business Monday at 7 A.M. after the Canadian government forced an end to a strike by longshoremen, but it could take several days to work through freight backlogs and longer to resume normal operations, the port authority said.

About 10 vessels are scheduled to enter the Port of Montreal and nearly 20,000 TEUs of container volume were trapped on port property when the work stoppage began, officials said in a statement Saturday.

Importers and exporters are being cautioned to expect delays in the coming weeks until terminal operators can restore ship and truck service to normal levels.

The Canadian Parliament on Friday, concerned about damage to the Canadian economy and supply chain disruptions, passed legislation prohibiting further strikes until dockworkers reach an agreement with maritime employers.

The longshoremen began their strike last Monday at Canada’s second-busiest commercial port following a deterioration in contract negotiations.

The longshoremen have been without a contract since late 2018. While the details of the contract talks haven’t been made public, union officials have said the key sticking points include working conditions and work-life balance, pointing to schedules that can require longshoremen to work 19 out of 21 days at times.

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