Montreal and its blue collar workers reach new labour agreement in principle

Montreal City Hall file photo. (Daniel J. Rowe/CTV News)

MONTREAL — Montreal's blue collar workers have reached a new collective agreement in principle with the city, three years after the last one expired.

The union representing the workers said the agreement in principle was reached after weeks of intensive talks late on Friday night.

Union president Luc Bisson said in a press release that the seven-year agreement was “excellent news” which would ensure “labour peace for Montrealers until the end of 2024,” as three years of the agreement are retroactive.

Within its terms are the establishment of working conditions for roughly 6,000 city blue collar workers.

Bisson said the union was doing everything possible to organize a general assembly quickly, while still acting in compliance with public health measures, in order to ratify the agreement in principle.

- This report by The Canadian Press was first published Dec. 21, 2020.