Mediation began between CUPE 7148, the Syndicat des pompiers et pompières du Québec, and the Ville de Saint-Colomban. However, rather than bargain in good faith, the city opted for hostility, imposing a comprehensive offer before discussion with the mediator could even begin.
Not only did this approach fail to respect the spirit of mediation, it also ignored several points that had been bargained and agreed upon in the last year. Before going into mediation, the employer went so far as to modify and strike out text that the parties had agreed upon. The city also added new demands months after the talks had begun.
“I’ve never seen bargaining like this,” said Michelle Brideau, CUPE representative and spokesperson at the bargaining table. “It ridicules the union and it mocks the workers. Honestly, it’s bad faith bargaining!”
In addition to going back on their word, the employer presented a financial offer that the union deemed insufficient and insulting. Saint-Colomban firefighters are currently the lowest paid in the area, earning 27% less than the regional average.
“The Ville de Saint-Colomban is not respectful,” said Martin Macchabée, president of CUPE 7148. “Our wages are the lowest in the region, and when we finally sit down together in mediation, hoping to settle the dispute, the employer reverses the points we’ve managed to settle together in recent months.”
The contract expired on December 31, 2022. The union also voted in favour of pressure tactics on June 14, 2025.
“In our line of work, we speak as one,” concluded the president. “We have to be able to rely on each other, out of honour and for our survival. From our perspective, the employer’s actions are mind-boggling.”