MONTREAL — Hundreds of striking blue-collar city workers rallied here April 16 on the second day of a three-day strike by the 6,200 members of Canadian Union of Public Employees Local 301. They gathered at one of the city’s busiest intersections near the Olympic Stadium, blocking traffic.
“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,” CUPE Local 79 President Nas Yadollahi told City News.
Workers are determined to win higher pay. “The only element blocking a settlement now is the City of Montreal obstinately sticking to its wage offer of an 11% increase over five years. This would lead to impoverishing blue-collar workers facing a cost-of-living crisis,” CUPE Local 301 President Jean-Pierre Lauzon told the press April 15. He noted that blue-collar city workers in East Montreal and Dollard des Ormeaux have won 20% increases.
Claudine Herve, a chauffeur-operator who has worked for the city for 24 years, told the Militant, “The question of wages is the big question for us, our wages are already almost $10 lower than other workers in cities around Montreal.”
The unionists have been without a contract since Dec. 31, 2024. After almost 50 negotiating and mediation sessions, they still face a wage proposal they consider insulting.