Port of Montreal Lockout 2010-07-19

The union representing about 900 longshoremen at the Port of Montreal says the workers will be locked out as of 8 a.m. ET Monday.

The employer, the Maritime Employers Association, had earlier warned it would lock out the longshoremen until further notice.

The workers have been without a contract since Dec. 31, 2008, and stopped working overtime on July 9 in a dispute over wages and overtime payments.

The Maritime Employers Association said a lockout is necessary because of how the pressure tactic has started to impede port operations.

In a statement released early Monday, CUPE Local 375 said the lockout is both "incomprehensible and useless."

Spokesman Michael Murray said news of the lockout came Sunday night when workers were in a meeting to discuss lifting the overtime ban.

The union said both sides met all afternoon on Sunday and had planned to continue meeting during the week.

CUPE will hold a new conference Monday morning at 11 a.m. ET.

This lock out affects mostly export shipments and imports from Europe. Vessels already en route to the Port of Montreal can only be rerouted at the discretion of the carrier and may be delayed if the lock out persists. Milgram will monitor the situation closely in the coming hours. If you have questions, please do not hesitate to contact your client service representative.

Source:The Canadian Press