Workers at Montreal’s Lavo plant threaten unlimited strike starting Friday

A flag of the Confederation of National Trade Unions (CSN), to which the Lavo workers’ union is affiliated. Photo taken on Aug. 1, 2024, in Montreal. (Canadian Press/Graham Hughes)

About 130 workers at the Lavo plant in Montreal are threatening to launch a general, unlimited strike starting Friday morning.

Lavo manufactures various household cleaning and laundry products under brands such as Hertel, La Parisienne, Arctic Power, Comet and Old Dutch.

These workers, members of a union within the Fédération de l’industrie manufacturière (FIM–CSN), have already held 10 strike days over the past several months.

They have now adopted a general, unlimited strike mandate supported by 97 per cent of members, and said Thursday they intend to use it starting Friday morning.

The union, which represents both production workers and technicians, reports that employees unanimously rejected the employer’s final offer last January.

The main issue in the dispute is wages.

The company’s management had not responded to a request for comment at the time of writing.

By Lia Lévesque

This report by The Canadian Press was first published in French on March 26, 2026.