Employers, striking dockworkers reach tentative deal at Montreal port

By The Canadian Press

Montreal port employers say they have reached a truce with striking dockworkers.

The Maritime Employers Association says it has settled on an agreement in principle with longshore workers and checkers to halt the 12-day labour action that has shut down Canada’s second-largest port.

READ MORE: Montreal port workers and employers at an impasse as strike drags into 10th day

The strike by more than 1,100 employees, who have been without a collective agreement for nearly two years, revolves largely around wages and scheduling.

The tentative deal comes two days after workers and management clashed over whether containers with perishable goods and hazardous materials should be removed from the docks, with employers threatening to bring in replacement workers.

RELATED: Quebec, Ontario ask Ottawa to intervene in Montreal port strike, now in week two

Federal Labour Minister Filomena Tassi had refused to intervene in the negotiations, citing her belief in the bargaining process despite calls from industry groups and the Ontario and Quebec governments for more direct involvement.

The employers and the union are slated to hold a press conference with more details about the agreement later today.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Aug. 21, 2020

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