Two Port of Montreal terminals shut down as dockworkers begin new partial strike

Dockworkers at the Port of Montreal have started a new partial strike today, forcing the indefinite shutdown of two container terminals at the country’s second biggest port.

The Port of Montreal says the Viau and Maisonneuve terminals are closed until further notice, paralyzing 40 per cent of the port’s total container handling capacity.

The union representing nearly 1,200 longshore workers began its latest strike at 11 a.m., affecting the two terminals operated by the company Termont.

The move comes on top of an ongoing strike on overtime shifts affecting the entire port and after a three-day strike at the same two container terminals earlier this month. The union also held a 24-hour work stoppage on Sunday.

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The Canadian Union of Public Employees had said it was willing to call off the strike if it could reach a deal on a portion of the dispute, which is centred on a scheduling practice used by Termont.

The Maritime Employers Association has denounced the strike but said it can’t grant the demand to change work schedules without formal negotiations taking place.