A push by the federal labour minister to mend relations in a labour standoff at the Port of Montreal hasn’t proved fruitful – as a partial strike drags on.
In a social media post Monday night, Steven MacKinnon said dockworkers and their employers have failed to find consensus after he proposed a three-month freeze on strikes and lockouts early last week.
The 90-day strike freeze aimed to have a special mediator work with both sides to reach an agreement after negotiations stalled earlier this month.
MacKinnon says the Maritime Employers Association and the longshore workers union must now “find a path leading to a negotiated agreement as quickly as possible.”
He says that federal mediators remain available to help with contract negotiations, where hours and salaries have proven to be major obstacles.
On Oct. 10, nearly 1,200 dockworkers at the country’s second-largest port launched an indefinite strike on overtime shifts – a week after holding a three-day strike at two container port terminals.
–This report by La Presse Canadienne was translated by CityNews