2021 Port of Montreal strike | |||
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Date | April 26, 2021 – May 1, 2021 7:000 | ||
Location | |||
Methods | |||
Resulted in | Legislation passed in the Parliament of Canada mandating an end | ||
Parties | |||
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The 2021 Port of Montreal strike began at 7:00 AM on April 26, 2021, after Local 375 of the Canadian Union of Public Employees (Syndicat des débardeurs du Port de Montréal) walked off the jobsite. [1] The strike is part of a dispute dating back to 2018, when the union and management were unable to negotiate a new contract. [2]
The Port of Montreal is Canada's second busiest port of entry with approximately $100 billion worth of goods passing through the port each year. [3]
Approximately 1,125-1,150 workers were part of CUPE Local 375 at the time. [1] [4]
There had been a strike in August 2020, the Port of Montreal strike. [4] At the time, the union agreed to not strike for seven months. [5]
In March 2021, the union rejected a new contract from the Maritime Employers Association. [6]
On April 26, CUPE launched an "unlimited general strike". [2]
A partial strike had started on April 17. [7] [8] The full strike effectively began on the evening of April 23, due to ongoing actions against overtime and weekend operations, even as it officially started on April 26. [1]
In total the strike lasted 5 days, due to the federal government passing legislation to force it to end. [9]
Port of Montreal Operations Act, 2021 | |
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Parliament of Canada | |
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Citation | S.C. 2021, c. 6 |
Considered by | House of Commons of Canada |
Considered by | Senate of Canada |
Royal assent | 2021-04-30 |
Commenced | 2021-04-30 |
Legislative history | |
First chamber: House of Commons of Canada | |
Bill citation | Bill C-29 |
Introduced by | Filomena Tassi |
First reading | 2021-04-27 |
Second reading | 2021-04-29 |
Committee of the Whole | 2021-04-29 |
Third reading | 2021-04-29 |
Second chamber: Senate of Canada | |
First reading | 2021-04-30 |
Second reading | 2021-04-30 |
Third reading | 2021-04-30 |
Status: In force |
The federal government tabled legislation, Port of Montreal Operations Act, 2021 (French : Loi de 2021 sur les opérations au port de Montréal), to require the resumption of operations at the port. [10] The legislation allows for arbitration to be imposed by the federal government. [10]
The Minister of Labour Filomena Tassi justified the legislation on the basis that there were medical supplies which were necessary to combat COVID-19 that were unavailable: "ships, currently with COVID-related products, pharmaceuticals and medical equipment, that now cannot get through". [10] Filomena Tassi also described the issue as "life or death". [11]
In the House of Commons, three Liberals voted against the bill alongside MPs from Bloc Quebecois, the New Democratic Party and the Green Party. [12] The NDP criticised the Liberal Party of Canada for forcing the workers at the port to go back to work. [11] Bloc Quebecois described the legislation as "incompetence" rather than a "solution". [11] The Conservatives supported the bill but criticized the federal government for not resolving the issues earlier. [11]
The union described the legislation as unconstitutional and a violation of the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms due to it restricting the right to strike [10] [13] The union also described the legislation as "neither helpful nor necessary" and said that the legislation undermined the "fundamental rights" of workers. [14] The union described the federal government as sending a "a strong and clear message" to all employers across Canada, with "no need to negotiate in good faith with your workers", because if faced with a difficult situation the federal government would support the employer. [15]
The union filed complaints with the International Labour Organization because Canada is a signatory to two international treaties relating to the right to strike. [16]