Residential construction strike in Quebec going ahead at midnight

New residential construction sites across Quebec will soon fall silent as last-minute negotiations failed on Tuesday.

Construction workers from five unions are set to go on strike at midnight.

Workers are demanding a salary increase of between 22 and 24 per cent over the next four years. The two parties started far apart but have been steadily getting closer on a number, but on Tuesday, the association of construction professionals submitted what it called a “final offer” of 18 per cent over four years, which was rejected by the unions.

In a statement, the APCHQ says it is “making every effort to avoid this strike and to reach a negotiated agreement. If the stalemate continues, the association is calling on the Alliance to promptly agree to proceed to mediation-arbitration so that the conflict can be resolved quickly.”

On the other side, the alliance of unions representing workers, Alliance syndicale de la construction, says: “This afternoon, the APCHQ tabled a counter-proposal with the aim of going to arbitration, rather than reaching a negotiated settlement.”

This means residential construction workers are set to go on strike.

“It’s fundamental that we keep talking with the parties. And they have a social obligation to find the best solution to avoid all the damages,” said Quebec’s labour minister, Jean Boulet, on Tuesday.

Walter Assi, president of Renovco, said one of his projects will be be shut down and that a strike could potentially have “huge ramifications.”

“It’s going to be delays for the homeowners, the possibility of aggravation of damages … since we have to demolish and restart,” he told CTV News.

The strike only applies to new builds under six stories, so home renovations and repairs will continue, as will work on commercial buildings and condo towers.

Crews that are working on projects that get shut down do have the option to find other work on one of the other types of construction sites during the strike, if they’re qualified, but the union is urging them to join the picket lines instead.