Canada’s Industrial Relations Board ordered a resumption of operations at the Port of Montreal from Nov. 16 morning, the port’s employers association said.
The move came after Canadian Labour Minister Steven MacKinnon directed the board to intervene.
“As the economic losses threaten the country and begin to mount, it is up to the government to ensure that … we can get on with the economic life of this country and avoid layoffs and other carnage,” he said.
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The feds stepped in on Nov. 12 to end the disputes at the country’s biggest ports, including Vancouver and Montreal, citing economic damage and the potential to drive away trading partners.
The news was welcomed by Pulse Canada and the Canadian Specials Crops Trade Association, which issued a joint statement on behalf of chair Terry Youzwa and president Murad Al-Katib.
“We appreciate that the federal government heard the concerns of industry and acted to prevent further economic harm. These stoppages were simply the latest in a disturbing pattern of supply chain disruptions that habitually threaten the livelihoods of those working in Canada’s pulse and special crops sector, the growth of the Canadian economy, and the pocketbooks of Canadian consumers,” they said in a statement.
It was the second time in three months that the Liberal government has stepped in to halt a labour dispute. In August, it ordered an end to work stoppages at the country’s two largest railway companies.
“It is time for a long-term solution to ensure the labour issues can be addressed in an appropriate, timely manner, without impacting the thousands of businesses and millions of families who rely on a functioning supply chain to make a living,” Youzwa and Al-Katib said.
The Maritime Employers Association said it would comply with the labour board’s directive, allowing Montreal port operators to resume activity over the weekend.
The Montreal Longshoremen’s Union rejected a final offer made for a new labour contract, leading to a lockout being declared.
The union did not immediately respond to a request for comment outside regular business hours on resumption of activities.
The dispute, which MacKinnon said was affecting more than $1.3 billion in goods every day, has affected shipments of canola oil, forest products and other goods.
The International Longshore and Warehouse Union Local 514, which represents supervisory longshore workers in the British Columbia dispute, said on Nov. 12 it would file a legal challenge to the minister’s orders.
The BC Maritime Employers Association, which represents West Coast port employers including in Vancouver, said it received the order from the labour board on Nov. 13 to resume operations on the next day.
