The first day of a partial strike at the Port of Montreal, which began on Sept. 30, has paralyzed 40% of the port’s container handling capacity, according to the Montreal Port Authority (MPA). This is considering that the Viau and Maisonneuve terminals operated by Termont are currently closed, but others remain in service.

The three-day partial strike by members of the CUPE Longshoremen’s Union, Local 375, will continue until 6:59 a.m. on Oct. 3.

As of 8 a.m. on Oct.1, it was reported that 1,300 general cargo TEU (twenty-foot equivalent unit) containers and 300 refrigerated containers carrying goods with limited shelf life are accumulating on-site. Another 12 TEU containers with critical goods like pharmaceuticals and medical supplies are also affected. Five vessels scheduled to dock at the port in the coming days have been delayed, with 11,549 TEU containers impacted.

Based on past data, the current slowdown would result in a 10% drop in total cargo volumes handled at the Port of Montreal, MPA said.

Long-term impacts

“This situation deprives our customers and partners of 40% of container handling capacity on the St. Lawrence at a crucial time, when both import and export holiday cargo must transit through the Port of Montreal,” said Julie Gascon, president and chief executive officer of the MPA, in a release, warning of the long-term impacts of the strike, urging both parties to return to negotiations.

“Six billion dollars worth of goods are expected to pass through the Port of Montreal over the next few weeks. What’s more, the climate of uncertainty that accompanies the lack of progress between the two parties means that we have to anticipate long-term impacts. Supply chain reliability is at the heart of Port users’ business decisions, and that’s why I’m calling on both parties to return to the table and reassure the thousands of companies that rely on our services to export and import goods crucial to their operations,” she added.