As FMA reported yesterday, the Labour Canada mediation service called the parties to separate meetings on Tuesday. Following from those meetings, the Labour Canada mediation service has arranged for negotiations to recommence tomorrow, April 15.

Also as reported yesterday, FMA participated in a meeting on the Port of Montreal situation hosted by the Canadian Chamber of Commerce. Many industry associations reported on the impacts resulting from the uncertainty and concern that the withdrawal of weekend and overtime service will begin to cause even more congestion and delay to container traffic.

The parties have been negotiating for over 30 months and there is no evidence that a settlement is close. There was broad consensus at the Chamber meeting that the time has come for more assertive action by the government.

Many of the associations are continuing to write to the government expressing the damage to their respective industries and to the Canadian economy in general. FMA wrote to the Prime Minister yesterday, requesting action by the government to bring closure to this dispute. Here is the FMA letter of April 13.

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FMA continues to recommend that member companies reach out to the Prime Minister, the Labour Minister, other Cabinet Ministers, and to MPs in ridings where their facilities are located. As the situation deteriorates, the letters outlining the damages inflicted become even more important.

Please feel free to use any wording from the FMA Letter.

Here are the email addresses of the Labour Minister and other suggested Cabinet Ministers.

  • Hon. Filomena Tassi, Minister of Labour: filomena.tassi@hrsdc-rhdcc.gc.ca
  • Rt. Hon. Justin Trudeau, Prime Minister: pm@pm.gc.ca;
  • Oliver Duchesne, PM staff member: olivier.duchesneau@pmo-cpm.gc.ca;
  • Hon. Seamus O’Regan, Minister of Natural Resources: NRCan.Minister-Ministre.RNCan@Canada.ca;
  • Hon. Omar Alghabra, Minister of Transport: mintc@tc.gc.ca;
  • Hon. Francois-Phillipe Champagne, Minister of Innovation, Science and Industry: francois-philippe.champagne@parl.gc.ca;
  • Hon. Marc Garneau, Minister of Foreign Affairs: marc.garneau@parl.gc.ca