Montreal white- and blue-collar workers rally as labour disputes loom
Posted September 19, 2026 5:10 pm.
Montreal’s white- and blue-collar municipal workers came together Saturday for a major union rally near city hall, as both groups push for new collective agreements.
The white-collar workers, represented by the Syndicat des fonctionnaires municipaux de Montréal (CUPE 429), have been without a collective agreement since Dec. 31, 2025. The union says its members are seeking fair and respectful working conditions and plans to take part in another mobilization on Sept. 21 alongside other municipal union groups.
More than 6,000 Montreal blue-collar workers, represented by the Syndicat des cols bleus regroupés de Montréal (CUPE 301), have been without a collective agreement since Jan. 1, 2025.
Blue-collar strike possible Sept. 22
Saturday’s rally came as the blue-collar union said there were 36 hours remaining to reach a tentative agreement and avoid a possible labour dispute.
Nicolas De Ciccio, president of the Montreal blue-collar workers’ union, said negotiations with the city have made some progress. He said the two sides negotiated late Friday and are expected to continue talks Sunday.
“We’re 36 hours away from a labour dispute,” De Ciccio said. “There has been some progress at the bargaining table. We negotiated until late last night, and we’ll continue negotiating tomorrow until late. We continue to believe that a tentative agreement, which is what we want, is possible.”
De Ciccio said that without a tentative agreement that respects the blue-collar workers, there will be a labour dispute starting Sept. 22.
The union says the offer currently proposed by Montreal Mayor Soraya Martinez Ferrada’s administration would reduce workers’ purchasing power when inflation and the cost of living are taken into account.
Separate dispute at Parc Jean-Drapeau
A separate labour dispute is also possible at Parc Jean-Drapeau on Sept. 21.
De Ciccio said negotiations there have been stalled for nearly three years and that the employer’s final offer was rejected by 96 per cent of workers.
“Regarding the blue-collar workers at Parc Jean-Drapeau, they are also at risk of a labour dispute on Sept. 21,” De Ciccio said. “Negotiations at Parc Jean-Drapeau have also been stalled for nearly three years, and the employer decided to issue a final offer that was rejected by 96 per cent.”
Union says cyclists’ safety will not be at risk
The potential labour action comes as Montreal hosts the UCI Road World Championships.
De Ciccio said the union could use pressure tactics during the championships, but said cyclists’ health and safety would not be put at risk.
“We repeat. We’ve already said it. We do not want to—and will not—endanger the health and safety of cyclists. What we want is to send a message and show that the City of Montreal, as an employer, does not respect its employees if we fail to reach a tentative agreement.”
He also said Parc Jean-Drapeau workers could use pressure tactics, with the possibility of an escalation if the employer does not quickly return to the bargaining table or present a new offer.
“On the 21st, which is Monday, there would be a strike,” De Ciccio said. “But if the employer does not return quickly to the bargaining table or come forward with a new offer, there could be an escalation of pressure tactics.”
The CUPE 301 says the blue-collar union has received support from more than a dozen unions representing municipal employees elsewhere in the world.
CUPE says it represents 143,000 members in Quebec, including about 40,000 municipal employees.
