Montreal dockworkers begin weekend strikes as talks drag on

Apr 17, 2021 | 2:52 PM

MONTREAL — Dockworkers at the Port of Montreal kicked off a series of weekend strikes today, adding to the overtime strike launched earlier this week as negotiations over a collective agreement drag on.

The labour actions mark the end of a seven-month truce that began in August as workers and employers bargain over wages and scheduling.

Representatives of the dockworkers’ union and the Maritime Employers Association met Thursday along with three mediators assigned to the file by federal Labour Minister Filomena Tassi.

The weekend strike by 1,150 workers, who have been without a collective agreement since September 2018, could be the first of many if discussions do not progress.