Montreal dockworkers to launch 1-day strike amid labour standoff

Dockworkers at the Port of Montreal are set to walk off the job for 24 hours starting Sunday morning in a bid to ramp up pressure on management amid a labour standoff.

The union representing nearly 1,200 longshore workers at the country's second-biggest port says it served notice on Thursday for a complete work stoppage.

The move comes on top of an ongoing strike on overtime shifts launched two weeks ago and a three-day strike at two container terminals that ended earlier this month.

The upcoming picket also follows a failed bid by the federal labour minister to freeze work stoppages and revamp talks via a special mediator, with contract negotiations now at a standstill.

The Maritime Employers Association says the pressure tactics are hurting operations and the port's reputation. It says it hopes an agreement can be reached at the bargaining table but that after 35 mediation meetings over 15 months, the parties remain at an impasse.