November 26, 2024 – Mechanics and clerks at Canadian National Railway Co. have voted overwhelmingly in favour of a strike mandate that could see workers walk off the job as early as New Year’s Day. Unifor says 97 percent and 96 percent of the two groups, respectively, cast their ballots in favour, paving the way for potential job action on January 1. One group comprises 2,100 mechanics, technicians, crane operators, machinists and electricians, and the other includes 1,500 administrators and customer support staff. They are calling for improved job security, compensation and working conditions at CN.Unifor says negotiations are resuming in Montreal on Monday and will continue through December 8.
November 18, 2024 – Operations resumed at the Port of Montreal as of seven o’clock on Saturday morning following the lockout of longshore workers. Management at the Port of Montreal says it will take several weeks to fully establish the import and export supply chain flow following the lockout that started last Sunday. Operations started to resume on Friday at Port of Vancouver terminals. Terminals and cargo sectors will resume operations in line with their individual operating plans. A full resumption of operations and fluidity at the Port of Vancouver is expected to take time. As terminal operations resume, ships are making their way to berth. Demand for all anchorage class assignments remains high and availability is limited.
November 15, 2024 – Both ports are now slowly resuming normal operations but delays are still expected for all traffic in and out of the terminals.
November 13, 2024 – The Port of Vancouver has confirmed that it plans to reopen its doors and operations this Friday, November 15. Clients are advised that it may take some time for the operations to return to normal.
November 13, 2024 – Following the decision by the Canadian Minister of Labour regarding the ongoing labour dispute at the Port of Montreal, the Montreal Port Authority (MPA) is initiating its plan to resume operations across all terminals. Depending on the decision by the Canada Industrial Relations Board, cargo handling activities will gradually resume over the coming days in both Montreal and Contrecoeur, in collaboration with port and intermodal partners. It will take several weeks to clear terminal backlogs and restore fluidity in the supply chain. “The end of this labour dispute means that we can resume operations and aim to restart supply chains across all our activities as soon as possible. I thank those who are facilitating the resumption of operations for our partners and clients. Restoring services will allow us to resume international trade, benefiting thousands of businesses and consumers who rely on reliable and smooth port activities,” said Julie Gascon, President and CEO of the MPA.
November 12, 2024 – Federal Minister of Labour Steven Mackinnon says he is intervening to end the port strikes in both Vancouver and Montreal. He says the negotiations have reached an impasse and he is directing the Canada Industrial Relations Board to order the resumption of all operations at the ports and move the talks to binding arbitration. More news as it develops.
November 11, 2024 – As we start the week, the Ports in Vancouver and Montreal remain closed due to the union strike and employer lockout. Mediation talks over the weekend have not resolved the issues. We will continue to monitor the situation.
November 9, 2024 – In a positive sign, the federal government has mandated a series of meetings over the weekend between the two parties in an attempt to get an agreement in place. More news as it develops.
November 4, 2024 – As announced earlier, all the ports in Vancouver and Montreal are currently on strike with no end in sight as negotiations are not currently scheduled. We are prioritizing our contact with customers whose containers are affected. Please feel free to call us if you have any questions or concerns.
November 1, 2024 – The Port of Vancouver may be closed on Monday if the planned strike and lockout occurs as announced today. Customers will be advised of any pending shipments that are affected.