The Westmount blue-collar workers have announced an indefinite strike starting June 22, which will affect several services to the population.
Only essential services will be provided, said the president of the Syndicat des cols bleus regroupés de Montréal on Friday, which counts the 124 Westmount blue-collar workers among its members.
These union members had previously walked off the job for two days, then three days, then a week.
Last November, they adopted pressure tactics mandate that could go as far as an indefinite strike.
The main points in dispute are wages and working hours.
The collective agreement expired on December 31, 2019.
"We've reached this point because the mayor refuses to give a real push to end these negotiations. The citizens of Westmount need to know that if we don't pay these workers properly, services will be bailed out and we'll definitely lose manpower," said Jean-Pierre Lauzon, president of the local section of the Canadian Union of Public Employees (CUPE), affiliated with the FTQ.
Westmount Mayor Christina M. Smith already said she respected the right of city employees to strike, during a previous blue-collar walkout.
"My wish is that discussions and negotiations take place around the bargaining table, not in the public arena or the media and that they be based on facts," she said at the time.
As for wages, she noted that "the union believes that the current offer is below its expectations, but it must take into account the current market in these employment sectors."
This report was first published in French by The Canadian Press on June 16, 2023.
