Montreal’s blue-collar workers are holding a major rally Thursday as their three-day strike enters its second day.
The walkout, led by the Syndicat des cols bleus regroupés de Montréal (CUPE 301), began Wednesday at 6 a.m. and is scheduled to continue until Saturday at 6 a.m. The union represents about 6,200 City of Montreal employees across roughly 180 job titles.
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“The city isn’t offering us anything,” said Jean-Pierre Lauzon, president of CUPE 301. “They want to settle for an 11 per cent raise, and that’s unacceptable to us. Our blue-collar workers are worth more than that.”
“I actually think that this is a way for the workers to indicate to the public that they actually care,” said CUPE Local 79 president, Nas Yadollahi. “Workers really do hold the balance of power, and I think the employer forgets sometimes because they take the work that these workers do every day for granted.”
This marks the second strike action in the current round of contract negotiations, following a one-day walkout in February, the first blue-collar strike in more than 15 years.
In a statement, the city officials said:
“The City of Montreal is sparing no effort to reach a negotiated agreement as quickly as possible with the Syndicat des cols bleus regroupés de Montréal, aimed at renewing the collective agreement of some 5,500 blue-collar employees. The City is cooperating fully to reach an agreement in the best interest of the parties and that respects the financial capacity of the City and Montreal taxpayers.”
The union says they’ve agreed on non-monetary items, but say the point of contention stems from the city’s refusal on their demand of a minimum 20 per cent raise in worker salaries, which they say is essential to help workers cope with the increasing cost of living.
The union says the dispute is mainly focused on wages. The City of Montreal has offered an 11 per cent salary increase over five years, citing its financial constraints.
The union, however, argues the offer would lead to a loss of purchasing power for workers.
The current collective agreement expired on December 31, 2024, and negotiations are ongoing.
