Montreal blue-collar workers vote in favour of strike

Montreal’s blue-collar workers voted overwhelmingly in favour of job action, including a potential indefinite strike, as negotiations for their expired collective agreement continue.

Montreal’s blue-collar workers voted Saturday in favour of job action, including the possibility of an indefinite general strike, as negotiations continue over the renewal of their collective agreement.

Members of the Canadian Union of Public Employees (CUPE), affiliated with the FTQ, were invited to an special general meeting at Montreal’s Palais des congrès. Of the 1,800 workers who attended, 98 per cent voted in favour of job action, CUPE said shortly after noon on Saturday.

“We want the employer to be more rigorous at the bargaining table. With this vote, we are showing our support for our bargaining committee. It is clear we must increase the pressure to be heard, and if necessary, we will continue during the election campaign,” said Jean-Pierre Lauzon, president of CUPE 301, in a statement.

CUPE 301 represents 6,600 workers for the City of Montreal.

The union said it was forced to leave the bargaining table on Friday “because the employer’s side showed a serious lack of respect by backing away from significant commitments that had already been negotiated and understood for more than five months,” it said in the same statement.

Key issues in the negotiations include work-life balance, the privatization of services to citizens, and wage offers.

A meeting with the City of Montreal senior management is scheduled for Thursday.

The city is facing significant financial challenges and is seeking to reduce its expenses.

Montreal’s blue-collar collective agreement expired on Dec. 31, 2024.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published in French on Sept. 6, 2025.