Agreement in principle ratified for a major Hydro-Québec union

A Hydro-Quebec truck is seen in Montreal, Sept.1, 2023. (THE CANADIAN PRESS/Christinne Muschi)

A major Hydro-Québec workers’ union has just ratified the agreement in principle reached with the employer to renew its collective agreement.

The union in question is the Syndicat des employés de techniques professionnelles et de bureau, which has 2,300 members. It represents approximately 100 different job titles, including customer service workers, equipment buyers, warehouse workers, drafters, administrative support staff, and others.

The tentative agreement, which was reached on May 28, was ratified by 96 per cent of the workers, according to a statement released Friday by the local branch of the Canadian Union of Public Employees (CUPE), which is affiliated with the FTQ.

The union had a five-day strike mandate, but did not have to exercise it.

The new collective agreement will be valid for five years. The agreed-upon wage increases are as follows:

• 3 per cent in 2024
• 3 per cent in 2025
• 3.9 per cent in 2026
• 3.8 per cent in 2027
• 3.7 per cent in 2028

In an interview on Friday, local union president Dominic Champagne noted several other gains, including a letter of agreement on teleworking that will be included in the collective agreement.

“It maintains the right to telework and will be included in the agreement. We looked at what was being done elsewhere, and it’s not customary to include it in the agreement. We checked during the negotiations and found no other union that had managed to include it in the agreement. We didn’t find any,” Champagne said.

He also noted that the Crown corporation initially wanted to reduce pension and disability benefits but dropped its demands on this issue.

“It’s status quo; the employer withdrew its demands on both the pension plan and disability benefits. We maintained what we had,” he said.

Champagne also noted the union was able to negotiate a reduction in the number of years of seniority required to qualify for vacation time.

It also made other gains related to career advancement and medical arbitration.

Hydro-Québec employs 23,280 workers and has 10 union certifications. Several unions are currently negotiating the renewal of their collective agreements.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published in French on June 20, 2025.