Blue-collar workers rally outside Montreal City Hall
Posted January 28, 2026 10:46 am.
Last Updated February 3, 2026 8:55 am.
Several blue-collar workers who were holding a rally outside Montreal City Hall on Jan. 28 entered the building, briefly suspending the work of city councillors who were later scheduled to adopt the municipal budget.
The Syndicat des cols bleus regroupés de Montréal (CUPE 301) admits some 30 workers entered city hall, but specify they in no way “stormed” the building. The union, affiliated with the FTQ, says blue-collar workers are “denouncing the financial framework presented by the employer representatives which, if approved as such, would ensure an impoverishment of municipal staff.”
The blue-collar workers’ collective agreement expired on Dec. 31, 2024, and a first day of strike action is scheduled for Feb. 4 at 6 a.m., until 5:59 a.m. on Feb. 5. CUPE 301 have not hit the picket lines since 2009.
“Approximately 30 blue-collar workers decided to peacefully enter the town hall to attend the public session of the municipal council, which will be crucial for their working conditions,” the SCFP wrote in a news release. “Police officers present blocked their access. It was only at this point that the workers began making noise in protest, still gathered in the entrance hall.”
“The mayor talks about collaboration and respect for the work of municipal employees. But today, with this budget, the opposite message is being sent. Once again, the public rhetoric is unifying, but at the bargaining table, progress isn’t materializing,” said SCFP 301 president Jean-Pierre Lauzon.
CityNews reached out to the City of Montreal for comment. A city spokesperson acknowledged the request but did not immediately provide a statement.
