IKEA Montreal union calls another surprise strike

An IKEA sign is shown at a location in East Palo Alto, Calif., Monday, July 10, 2023. The Montreal IKEA workers called a strike. (Jeff Chiu/ The Associated Press)

IKEA Montreal employees called a surprise strike on Sunday, a week after ending another work stoppage.

The measure was taken because the employer reportedly did not improve its wage offer during last Monday’s bargaining session, union president Elie Zetrenne explained in an interview with The Canadian Press.

According to him, the employer also showed resistance to negotiations, instead requesting conciliation from the government.

In an email, IKEA defended its decision to request conciliation from the Labour Ministry, stating that the goal was to maintain dialogue with the union and structure future discussions.

“Clearly, they don’t understand our reality,” he added.

Zetrenne said that the offer submitted by the employer includes a 50-cent raise for employees at the top of the pay scale and a zero per cent raise for those at the bottom of the pay scale.

“It’s truly an insult, so if the employer doesn’t want to return to the negotiating table, we’ll continue with our pressure tactics,” he concluded.

IKEA Canada, however, asserts that its offers “are competitive and in line with industry standards in the Montreal retail market.”

“The IKEA Montreal store is the best-performing in North America in terms of sales, and that’s largely thanks to its workers. The employer isn’t even able to thank them by offering a decent raise,” said Serge Monette, president of the Fédération du commerce-CSN, in a press release.

“We’re the best, so we want the best wages,” said Zetrenne. “A winning team has to be paid for, it deserves a salary.”

The IKEA Montreal-CSN union has more than 400 members, representing all store employees.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published in French on May 11, 2025.