October 23, 2024 – Canadian shipping stakeholder hopes of a prompt resolution of the dispute at the Port of Montreal have been quashed, after Canadian Minister of Labour Steven MacKinnon’s proposal for “special mediation” was rejected. Last week, Mr. MacKinnon made a proposal to the Maritime Employers Association (MEA) and Montreal Longshoremen’s union Local 375 to appoint a special mediator so the parties could “resume negotiations without any pressure tactics from either side, over a 90-day period.” But Mr. MacKinnon wrote on X yesterday: “The parties have been unable to reach an agreement,” indicating that a mediator would therefore not be appointed. But he urged: “They must find a path forward towards a negotiated settlement as quickly as possible,” and added that he would “continue to closely monitor the situation.” Meanwhile, the overtime ban at the port that started on October 11 is set to last indefinitely.
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