Canadian Minister of Labour and Seniors Steven MacKinnon said on Tuesday that his proposal to appoint a special mediator to help the union and the employer at the Port of Montreal to reach a new collective agreement had been rejected.

To remind, the Minister of Labour and Seniors, the Honourable Steven MacKinnon, made a proposal on October 15 to the Maritime Employers Association (MEA) and the Montréal Longshoremen’s union, CUPE Local 375.

The proposal suggested appointing a special mediator so that the parties could resume negotiations without any pressure tactics from either side, over a 90-day period.

“The parties have since been unable to reach an agreement. They must find a path forward towards a negotiated settlement as quickly as possible,” MacKinnon said on social media X.

“Federal mediators and I remain available to assist them, and I will continue to closely monitor the situation.”

The Maritime Employers Association said on Monday that it acknowledges MacKinnon’s decision to withdraw his offer to appoint a special mediator to help conclude a new collective agreement with the Longshoremen’s Union.

“The time has come to determine the next steps with the support of the Federal Mediation and Conciliation Service,” MEA noted in its statement on Monday.