Hydro-Québec: largest unions preparing for a strike
Posted April 28, 2026 3:13 pm.
Last Updated April 28, 2026 3:14 pm.
Expressing disappointment at the lack of progress in negotiations to renew their collective agreement, the largest union at Hydro-Québec is preparing for a strike.
This is a local branch of the Canadian Union of Public Employees (CUPE), affiliated with the FTQ, which represents 6200 workers: skilled tradespeople, such as switchgear electricians, switchgear mechanics, and distribution installers.
Negotiations have been ongoing for about two years, but they are not progressing much, said Frédéric Savard, president of the relevant CUPE local, in an interview on Tuesday.
“We are in the final stages of preparing to file a strike notice,” he said.
He did not specify whether these would be days of strike action or a general and indefinite strike. The strategy has not yet been finalized.
In the event of a strike, essential services should be maintained. Savard assures that he has no intention whatsoever of holding the public hostage.
The main issue, in their case, is the use of subcontracting.
Hydro-Québec management declined to comment “out of respect for the ongoing process.” They assured that they were negotiating in good faith.
–This report by La Presse Canadienne was translated by CityNews
