Update: Dockers’ lock-out at Montreal port

By on Jul 22, 2010

With activities on terminals operated by MEA members at the Port of Montreal still halted, and vessels moored on the St Lawrence River upstream from Quebec City and in the Montreal port zone, some shipping lines are diverting vessels to other ports

The SLCS partners have diverted three ships to Halifax:

  • The OOCL Montreal is moving from the Gulf of St Lawrence to Halifax, ETA due July 22nd - 23rd
  • The MSC Aniello will call at Halifax on or about July 23rd - 24th
  • The Toronto Express will call at Halifax on or about July 25th - 26th

OOCL says that all reasonable efforts will be made to deliver cargo to the local rail switching yard, and, where required, Montreal CY Bills of Lading can be converted to Door terms

Cargo diverted to Halifax using the CN rail network will be delivered to CN Rail's Taschereau Intermodal Facility in Saint-Laurent

The same principlesapply to reefer cargo, although surcharges may be applied

OOCL also said that the forthcoming sailings ex-Europe of the Mississauga Express and the Montreal Express will be loaded based on St Lawrence water levels Thus, if the dispute is resolved, the vessels can transit directly to Montreal Otherwise also these vessels may be diverted to alternate ports

The SLCS partners are reviewing their strategy on the following MSC Gina and OOCL Belgium, which will be based on the labour situation at the time of sailing from Europe

However, it has been reported that union labour in Halifax, New York/New Jersey and Norfolk may boycott cargo diverted from Montreal, although dockers at those ports do not belong to the same union as those in Montreal

The Maritime Employers Association (MEA) said it would respond to a union settlement proposal today, and a further meeting is scheduled for tomorrow between the MEA and the local 375 unit of the Canadian Union of Public Employees (CUPE)

The union offer in part would be to cut the 850 longshore workers by 50 people to save employer costs It also includes proposals for a more efficiently organised calling of longshoremen to load or unload vessels and other streamlining of the process

Meanwhile the Montreal Port Authority (MPA) was granted an injunction by the Quebec Superior Court to require union picketers to allow passage through the port's six entrances of maintenance workers and private contractors whose work is unconnected to loading and unloading of vessels The injunction limits picketers to five at each gate, stationed at least ten metres from each gate