Tribunal rules in favour of Hydro-Quebec over union pressure tactics

Hydro-Quebec's head office in Montreal, Thursday, November 14, 2024. (The Canadian Press/Graham Hughes)

The Administrative Labour Tribunal has ruled in favour of Hydro-Quebec after receiving an urgent motion about pressure tactics deployed in several regions of the province on April 22 and 23.

The decision concerns a local chapter of the Canadian Union of Public Employees (CUPE), specifically the skilled trades chapter, which is preparing for a strike.

The Tribunal ruled that the union’s pressure tactics were illegal and ordered members to cease using them.

It also ruled that the tactics were likely to deprive the public of services to which they are entitled.

The Tribunal’s decision detailed the unauthorized use of Hydro-Quebec vehicles and equipment, a concerted refusal to work overtime, a refusal to use tablets for work scheduling and the obstruction of access to passageways in Hydro-Quebec buildings.

The Tribunal also cited statements by Hydro-Quebec describing “actions amounting to mischief or vandalism” that caused operational delays, including entrance doors being locked with electrical cables, garbage bags being left near a foreman’s car and a snowmobile belonging to Hydro-Quebec being suspended from a boom truck, among other incidents.

“The evidence reveals the implementation, on a province-wide scale and over a very short period, of a series of coordinated actions aimed at disrupting Hydro-Quebec’s operations: blocking access, deliberately slowing down work, a concerted refusal to perform certain tasks, misappropriation or sabotage of equipment and disruption of workplaces,” summarized Administrative Judge François Beaubien.

“There is no need to dwell at length on the many acts committed in just two days by union members to conclude that these were concerted actions initiated, encouraged, if not tolerated by the union, when on April 23, 2026, on its website, it noted that ‘across the province, significant mobilizations took place yesterday by members of the 1500. They were determined to send a clear message to the employer,” added the administrative judge.

The Tribunal concluded: “It is clear that, during these two days, the concerted actions of the union’s members deprived the public of services to which it is entitled or are likely to do so if they do not cease immediately.”

The Tribunal’s decision is set to be filed with the Superior Court, giving it the same weight as a judgment of that court.

Anyone who violates it would be liable for contempt of court.

Hydro-Quebec management expressed regret over the use of such pressure tactics, “which date back to another century.”

It emphasized “the importance of respecting the rules governing pressure tactics.”

It said it also intends to take “the necessary measures to protect its facilities, managers and employees and to ensure quality service for its customers.”

This report by The Canadian Press was first published in French on April 29, 2026.