Lockout at Port of Montreal could be ‘catastrophic’ for economy, port authority says [Video]

If the lockout of dockworkers in Montreal persists, there will be “catastrophic” consequences for the Canadian economy, particularly in Quebec and Ontario, the local port authority warns. 

On Monday morning, Port of Montreal CEO Julie Gascon held a news conference, less than 12 hours after the lockout began.

The lockout is the latest escalation in a labour dispute that has heated up in recent weeks. The Port of Montreal moves $400 million worth of goods every day and is Canada’s second busiest port after Vancouver, which is also mired in a labour dispute. A lockout also began there last Monday. 

On Thursday, the Maritime Employers’ Association (MEA) tabled what it described as a final offer, which came with a 72-hour lockout notice.

The MEA threatened to lock out workers as of Sunday at 9 p.m. if they didn’t accept the offer.

The dockworkers overwhelmingly rejected the offer, with 99.7 per cent of members voting against it, according to a spokesperson for the Canadian …