In today’s news and commentary, Montreal Longshoremen are locked out after rejecting a final offer for a new contract, an ALJ held that Trader Joe’s violated labor law during the first campaign to organize one of its stores, and teachers in two Massachusetts school districts went on strike last Friday.

Some 1,200 Canadian port workers were locked out last night after rejecting a final offer from the Maritime Employers Association (MEA). The Montreal Longshoremen’s Union rejected the offer by a vote of 99.7%, saying that their employer refused to negotiate. The Union walked out on strike on October 31, disrupting about 15% of total port volume. The Port of Montreal is Canada’s second largest port, moving approximately $288 million in goods every day. This lockout comes less than a week after dockworkers in British Columbia, Canada’s largest port, were locked out over a contract dispute. Montreal’s longshoremen are asking for 20% wage increases over four years – as was provided to longshoremen in Halifax and Vancouver. The Union would also like to negotiate issues of scheduling and work-life balance. The final offer included a 3% salary increase per year over four years. Canada’s Labor Minister, Steve MacKinnon, said the parties’ negotiations are “progressing at an insufficient pace” and over 100 organizations wrote a joint letter urging the government do whatever it takes to end the work stoppage.

NLRB Administrative Law Judge, Charles Muhl, ruled that Trader Joe’s violated labor law at its Hadley, Massachusetts location. Trader Joe’s United charged the company with maintaining unlawful workplace dress codes and threatening workers during the first campaign to organize a Trader Joe’s. In 2022, as the Hadley location was gearing up for a union election, management sent home two workers for wearing union pins and punished other employees for violating dress code policies by donning union insignia. After a successful election, Trader Joe’s United and management negotiated retirement benefits similar to those enjoyed by non-unionized stores. In Friday’s holding, the ALJ found that Trader Joe’s had instead implemented a benefits package that was far less favorable toward the unionized stores. ALJ Muhl ordered Trader Joe’s to rescind the changes to the retirement benefits package and to provide backpay for the two employees sent home early. The order also included a cease and desist against all other unlawful activity.

Teachers in Beverly and Gloucester, Massachusetts walked out on strike last Friday, in separate actions concerning wages, class sizes, leave and other benefits. The Beverly Teachers Association (BTA) is negotiating for smaller class sizes, 12 weeks of paid parental leave and living wages for paraprofessionals and teachers assistants. The BTA says that it has been negotiating with the School Committee for months and have made little to no progress on the issues of importance. The Union of Gloucester Educators says it has been negotiating for safe, fully staffed schools, paid parental leave, competitive wages, and respect, but the School Committee has stalled and rejected nearly all proposals. A third Massachusetts school district, in Marblehead, voted to go on strike this Tuesday if they could not reach agreement with their School Committee. Massachusetts state law bans public sector employee strikes. The state’s last teachers strike was earlier this year when Newton educators went on an 11-day strike. Newton and its School Committee agreed to 13% cost-of-living increases, pay increases for classroom aids and 40-days of paid parental leave.