Leading industry associations disappointed by announcement of labour action, reiterate call for immediate federal government intervention at the Port of Montreal

(OTTAWA) – April 13, 2021 – Today, Canada’s leading national industry associations issued the following statement announcement of partial strike by CUPE Local 375 at the Port of Montreal:

“The recent notice of a limited strike by the longshoremen’s union, including no work at all on weekends, is devastating not only to Canada’s economic competitiveness, but also to its recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic.

A recent survey by Electro-Federation Canada revealed that businesses from across the country, primarily in agriculture, manufacturing, and transportation logistics, are being forced to move cargo through other North American ports of entry, which only increases bottlenecks at already congested ports. The threat of labour action is also requiring industry to find alternative modes of transportation to move their goods, which increases costs and delays in supply chains.

We are therefore calling on the federal Minister of Labour to appoint an arbitrator and enforce a decision that will be binding on both parties. We must work to ensure smooth and uninterrupted operations at the port. It is critical to keeping Canadians employed, safe, and healthy throughout this tumultuous time.”

List of Industry Associations

Hon. Perrin Beatty, P.C., O.C.
President and Chief Executive Officer
Canadian Chamber of Commerce

Luke Chapman
Interim President
Beer Canada

Shannon Coombs
President
Canadian Consumer Specialty Products Association

Dan Kelly
President and Chief Executive Officer
Canadian Federation of Independent Business

Ralph Suppa
President and General Manager
Canadian Institute of Plumbing and Heating

Bruce Rodgers
Executive Director
Canadian International Freight Forwarders Association

Dennis Darby
President and Chief Executive Officer
Canadian Manufacturers and Exporters

Ron Lemaire
President
Canadian Produce Marketing Association

Brian Kingston
President and Chief Executive Officer
Canadian Vehicle Manufacturers’ Association

Carol McGlogan
President and Chief Executive Officer
Electro-Federation Canada

Michael Graydon
Chief Executive Officer
Food, Health, and Consumer Products Canada

Derek Nighbor
President and Chief Executive Officer
Forest Products Association of Canada

John Corey
President
Freight Management Association

Sandy MacLeod
President & CEO
Heating, Refrigeration and Air Conditioning Institute of Canada

Kim Campbell
Chair
Importers and Exporters Canada

Lisa Kowalchuk
Executive Director
Medicine Hat & District Chamber of Commerce

Pierre Gratton
President and Chief Executive Officer
Mining Association of Canada

David Wojcik
President and Chief Executive Officer
Mississauga Board of Trade

Greg Cherewyk
President
Pulse Canada

Cathy Campbell
President
Responsible Distribution Canada

Diane J. Brisebois
President and Chief Executive Officer
Retail Council of Canada

Christian Buhagiar
President and Chief Executive Officer
Supply Chain Canada

About the Canadian Chamber of Commerce – Because Business Matters

The Canadian Chamber of Commerce helps build the businesses that support our families, our communities and our country. We do this by influencing government policy, by providing essential business services and by connecting businesses to information they can use, to opportunities for growth and to a network of local chambers, businesses, decision-makers and peers from across the country, in every sector of the economy and at all levels of government, as well as internationally. We are unapologetic in our support for business and the vital role it plays in building and sustaining our great nation.

-30-

For more information, please contact:

Emily Walsh ewalsh@chamber.ca