Port of Montreal gains injunction; rail traffic resumes; lockout continues

MONTREAL, July 21, 2010 (Press Release) - The Montreal Port Authority reports the situation at the Port of Montreal following the labour dispute between the Maritime Employers Association and its longshore labour force as follows:

● The Montreal Port Authority has obtained an injunction. The purpose of this injunction is to allow access to the Port and to continue work unrelated to the employees of the Maritime Employers Association.

● The grain terminal can receive and ship cargo.

● The Maritime Employers Association is maintaining its lockout.

● Rail traffic in the Port has resumed. All the freight cars are being consigned and loaded. Freight cars that were loaded before the conflict are leaving the terminals.

● Cargo on terminal property is not being handled.

● No vessel requiring the work of longshoremen for its operation is in the Port.

● Certain access points to Port territory are closed: Only the Berri, Viau and Hector-Barsalou entrances remain open to traffic and allow unhindered entry and exit from the Port of Montreal.

About the Port of Montreal

The Port of Montreal is a major diversified transshipment centre that handles all types of goods - non-containerized cargo, liquid bulk and dry bulk. It is a leading container port served by 7 of the 10 largest container shipping lines in the world. Close to 1,250,000 TEUs (twenty-foot equivalent units) were handled at the Port of Montreal in 2009, representing 11,266,000 tonnes of cargo.

The Port of Montreal owns its own rail network, operated directly on the piers. It is connected to the two nationwide railways and a highway system. The Port also operates its own grain terminal and a marine passenger terminal that welcomed 47,534 passengers and crew members in 2009. All the other terminals are operated by private stevedoring firms. Port activity supports 18,200 jobs and generates $1.5 billion in economic spin-offs per year.