The Essential Services Council has sided with the Montreal blue collar workers' union in a dispute with the city over snow-clearing during rotating strikes.
The council says that once union members go on strike, they won't have to begin snow-clearing until nine centimetres of snow has fallen.
The Council rejected the city's argument that snow should be cleared after 2.5 centimetres are on the ground.
"The Council does not accept the city's assertions that public health or security would not be guaranteed," the agency said in a statement on Friday morning.
The union is to begin borough-by-borough walkouts on Monday, beginning downtown and continuing one borough at a time until March.
The 5,000 workers have been without a contract since August 2007, and subcontracting to the private sector is the main issue.
