The port's employers locked out 1,200 dockworkers after they rejected a "final" contract offer Sunday, closing four major container terminals.

The Montreal Longshoremen's Union rejected a final offer made for a new labour contract, leading to a lockout being declared, the Maritime Employers Association (MEA) and the union said on Sunday.

Longshoring activity at the Port of Montreal is set to grind to a halt as an employers’ group locks out 1,200 union members.

The employers association at the Port of Montreal locked out nearly 1,200 longshore workers, bringing a halt to traffic at the port.

The dispute exacerbates the disruption to trade in Canada as a lockout at ports along the West Coast continues.