The Maritime Employers Association locked out its longshore workers at 9 p.m. Sunday after union members rejected a final contract offer. Most cargo is also still frozen up and down the West Coast, following unsuccessful Saturday meetings between negotiators for B.C. terminal operators and the union representing forepersons on the docks. (The Logic)

Talking point: In both disputes, the employers say they would rather lock workers out rather than be at the mercy of union decisions. The Montreal terminal operators said the uncertainty created through months of negotiations had already reduced shipping at the port, and called on Labour Minister Steven MacKinnon—who has criticized a “concerning lack of urgency from the parties” at Canada’s two biggest ports—to intervene. MacKinnon has recently ordered binding arbitration to end rail strikes, which the Teamsters union is challenging as unconstitutional.