After two and a half years of negotiations, Montreal blue-collar workers voted 86.7% in favour of a tentative agreement reached between the City and the Syndicat des cols bleus regroupés (CUPE 301) at a virtual general meeting that took place last Saturday, March 27.
“This collective agreement is a win-win for our members, the City and citizens. These negotiations enabled us to come up a new way of working in cooperation with the City to offer good services at good prices,” declared Luc Bisson, President of the Syndicat des cols bleus regroupés.
“Overall, we improved our working conditions while respecting the citizens’ ability to pay. It’s great news! We are proud that industrial peace has been achieved for our city until the end of 2024,” he added.
The City and the union demonstrated their creativity by developing labour mobility that will result in more efficient service delivery to Montrealers.
“In some way, we modernized the way we work. We are a willing partner in the City’s development. I salute the openness the parties showed at the bargaining table, which produced this pleasant outcome,” said CUPE union representative Hans Marotte.
The last collective agreement governing the working conditions of the some 6000 Montreal blue-collar workers expired in December 2017.