Montreal blue-collar workers strike over stalled wage talks
Posted September 23, 2026 12:17 pm.
About 50 blue-collar workers were on a one-day strike Wednesday as negotiations over a new collective agreement remain deadlocked, according to union representative Félix Gagnon of the Canadian Union of Public Employees.
These workers are with the Société d’habitation et de développement de Montréal – blue-collars from CUPE 301. They have been without a contract since December 31, 2024.
Gagnon says negotiations have stalled over wages, with the union arguing that the employer’s offers do not keep pace with inflation.
He also says the employer has proposed cuts to other benefits to help finance wage increases.
The union says workers have given it a 100 per cent strike mandate, including the possibility of an unlimited general strike if no agreement is reached.
For now, Gagnon says the union is looking for greater movement from the employer at the bargaining table.
Earlier this week, the City of Montreal and 6,000 blue-collars came to an agreement in principle to avoid a week-long strike.
