Letter to Minister of Labour Steven MacKinnon Regarding Labour Disruption at Port of Montreal

October 31, 2024
The Honourable Steven MacKinnon, P.C., M.P.
Minister of Labour and Seniors
Place du Portage Phase II
165 de l’Hôtel-de-Ville Street
Gatineau, Québec J8X 3X2

Via electronic mail

Re: Labour Disruption at Port of Montreal

Dear Minister MacKinnon,

On behalf of Canadian businesses, associations, chambers of commerce and boards of trade, we write to express deep concern regarding the indefinite strike by CUPE 375 at the Port of Montreal. As representatives of Canada’s business community, whose members enable billions of dollars of trade, we are calling on the Government to take immediate action to facilitate negotiations, use every tool at its disposal to ensure the Port remains fully operational and protect Canada’s crucial Eastern Gateway.

This past year has been marred by successive, damaging labour stoppages, compounded by wildfires, floods, and the lingering impacts of COVID-19. While we acknowledge that negotiating a fair agreement is a complex process, Canadians cannot afford a prolonged standoff. We have waited patiently to allow the two parties to negotiate a collective agreement in good faith. However, significant disruptions, including a one-day and three-day strike and an ongoing overtime strike, are clearly intended to cause disruption and uncertainty. It has now become evident that the situation at the Port of Montreal has become untenable.

An indefinite strike will impact 40% of the St. Lawrence container handling capacity. It risks accelerating inflation, increasing costs for businesses and consumers across the country, and severely damaging Canada’s reputation as a reliable trading partner—impacts that are particularly acute as the holiday season approaches. This strike will also limit the ability of our exporters to move products to market, jeopardizing global contracts that are essential for investment and employment in Canada.

As Eastern Canada’s largest container port, the Port of Montreal connects Canada to over 140 countries, with over 2,000 vessels annually delivering more than 15 million tonnes of essential goods—from agri-foods to critical minerals and household necessities—to rail and truck distributors. Every day of disrupted operations erodes Canada’s economic stability and puts nearly $93 million of economic activity at risk. Given our high reliance on trade, and with concurrent uncertainty at West Coast ports, the implications of this dispute are far-reaching.

To reinforce Canada’s standing as a competitive and reliable trading partner in the global market, businesses must have dependable, efficient access to import and export channels. Canadians expect swift, decisive action from our elected officials to facilitate the resolution of this labour dispute and secure our economic future. We simply cannot afford another strike in the transportation sector.

Sincerely,

AFA Canada
Alberta Chambers of Commerce
Alberta Food Processors Association
Animal Nutrition Association of Canada
Associated Equipment Distributors
Aylmer & Area Chamber of Commerce
BC Construction Association
BC Food & Beverage
Calgary Chamber of Commerce
Cambridge Chamber of Commerce
Canadian Association of Importers and Exporters (IE Canada)
Canadian Automobile Dealers Association
Canadian Chamber of Commerce
Canadian Construction Association
Canadian Consumer Specialty Products Association
Canadian Corrugated & Containerboard Association
Canadian Federation of Agriculture
Canadian Federation of Independent Business
Canadian Fluid Power Association
Canadian Food Exporters Association
Canadian Franchise Association
Canadian Fuels Association
Canadian Health Food Association
Canadian Home Builders’ Association
Canadian Manufacturers & Exporters
Canadian Meat Council
Canadian Paint and Coatings Association
Canadian Produce Marketing Association
Canadian Sugar Institute
Canadian Toy Association
Cap-Acadie Chamber of Commerce
Chamber of Commerce Brantford-Brant
Chambre de commerce du Montréal métropolitain
Chemistry Industry Association of Canada
CIFFA Corp
Conseil du patronat du Québec
Distributeurs D’équipements Associés
Electro Federation Canada
Enserva
Estevan Chamber of Commerce
Fenestration Canada
Fertilizer Canada
Food and Beverage Canada
Food and Beverage Ontario
Food Producers of Canada
Food, Health and Consumer Products of Canada
Freight Management Association of Canada
Grain Growers of Canada
Greater Kingston Chamber of Commerce
Greater Kitchener Waterloo Chamber of Commerce
Greater Shediac Chamber of Commerce
Guelph Chamber of Commerce
Hamilton Chamber of Commerce
Hearth, Patio & Barbecue Association of Canada
High River Chamber of Commerce
Kelowna Chamber of Commerce
London Chamber of Commerce
Manitoba Heavy Construction Association
Mining Association of Canada
Mississauga Board of Trade
Montreal Automobile Dealers Corporation
North Bay & District Chamber of Commerce
Ontario Chamber of Commerce
Ottawa Board of Trade
Parkland Chamber of Commerce
Pets Canada
Pictou County Chamber
Pulse Canada
Quebec Trucking Association
Quinte West Chamber of Commerce
Responsible Distribution Canada
Restaurants Canada
Retail Council of Canada
Sarnia Lambton Chamber of Commerce
Saskatchewan Chamber of Commerce
Saskatchewan Mining Association
Sault Ste. Marie Chamber of Commerce
Shipping Federation of Canada
Southeast Alberta Chamber of Commerce
St. Lawrence Shipoperators
St. Thomas & District Chamber of Commerce
Surrey Board of Trade
The Whitchurch-Stouffville Chamber of Commerce
Thunder Bay Chamber of Commerce
Valley Chamber of Commerce
Western Canada Roadbuilders & Heavy Construction Association
Western Canadian Shippers’ Coalition
Western Retail Lumber Association
Weyburn Chamber of Commerce
Wheat Growers Association
Windsor-Essex Regional Chamber of Commerce
Yorkton Chamber of Commerce