![\"A](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/0416-city-blue_302596554.jpg\")
Striking blue collar workers rally outside the Des Carri\u00e8res incinerator in Montreal Wednesday April 15, 2026. John Mahoney \/ Montreal Gazette<\/p>\nMontreal\u2019s blue-collar workers say they will not accept the city\u2019s 11 per cent salary increase over five years under any circumstances and argue the city should double its offer for negotiations to move forward. <\/p>\n
Speaking at a rally marking the start of a three-day strike Wednesday, union president Jean-Pierre Lauzon said negotiations with the city are at an impasse over what he called an \u201cindecent\u201d and \u201cillogical\u201d offer.\u00a0<\/p>\n
While Lauzon declined to specify what percentage the union is seeking, he pointed to nearby examples \u2014 such as in Montr\u00e9al-Est and Dollard-des-Ormeaux \u2014 where blue-collar workers secured increases of more than 20 per cent.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s for sure over 20 per cent,\u201d Lauzon said when asked what the union wants. \u201cPeople are negotiating six-year or five-year agreements at 21.5 or 22 per cent elsewhere, so why won\u2019t the city of Montreal do the same?\u201d<\/p>\n
Striking blue collar workers rally outside the Des Carri\u00e8res incinerator in Montreal Wednesday April 15, 2026. John Mahoney \/ Montreal Gazette<\/p>\n
The city\u2019s more than 5,000 blue-collar workers, represented by CUPE Local 301, are on strike from 6 a.m. Wednesday until 6 a.m. Saturday. The walkout follows a 24-hour strike held in February<\/a>. The union has been without a contract since December 2024.<\/p>\n Lauzon said the average blue-collar worker in the city earns an annual salary of $55,000. Many have been leaving to work elsewhere in recent years because they can\u2019t afford housing in Montreal, he added. <\/p>\n \u201cWe\u2019re not striking for fun; we\u2019re here because we have no choice,\u201d Lauzon said.<\/p>\n The union president said he understands Montreal wants to save money, but suggested the city look to cut costs somewhere else. He noted there are 103 elected officials in Montreal, though stopped short of calling for that number to be reduced.<\/p>\n \u201cWhat we\u2019re asking is for the city to do the work needed to understand what\u2019s driving up costs,\u201d Lauzon said. \u201cBecause it\u2019s not blue-collar workers who are driving up costs. It\u2019s the administration and the way things are done.\u201d<\/p>\n Asked about the labour dispute in recent weeks, Mayor Soraya Martinez Ferrada has repeatedly said the city is negotiating several collective agreements at once and needs to respect taxpayers\u2019 capacity to pay.<\/p>\n During Tuesday evening\u2019s Ville-Marie borough council meeting,\u00a0Martinez Ferrada said she supports blue-collar workers in their work and has met with them on several occasions during the negotiations.<\/p>\n \u201cBut the city\u2019s financial framework is what it is, and it\u2019s difficult,\u201d the mayor added.<\/p>\n Meanwhile, the official opposition at city hall, Projet Montr\u00e9al, is\u00a0questioning whether the Martinez Ferrada administration has mismanaged the file.<\/p>\n \u201cSix months into its term, despite promising to resolve labour disputes quickly, our blue-collar workers are still on strike against an administration that dared to make them an offer lower than the one made by the previous administration,\u201d leader Ericka Alneus said in a statement.<\/p>\n Essential services are maintained throughout this week\u2019s strike but some disruptions are expected, such as waste and compost pickup being postponed in certain boroughs<\/a>.<\/p>\n![\"A](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/0416-city-blue_302596596.jpg\")
Striking blue-collar workers rally outside the Des Carri\u00e8res incinerator in Montreal Wednesday April 15, 2026. John Mahoney \/ Montreal Gazette<\/p>\n