Inside workers with the City of Vaudreuil-Dorion, in Montérégie region, voted 99% in favour of a mandate to apply pressure tactics, up to and including a strike, in union meetings held last Wednesday and Thursday. The collective agreement covering these 317 workers, including 106 regular full-time salaried employees, expired December 31, 2024. While bargaining is being conducted in a respectful manner, talks have stalled over the issue of wages.
These workers have in fact suffered a net loss of 5.1% in their purchasing power over seven years under the old contract, despite 12.5 % wage increases, due to much higher inflation levels. After tabling an initial demand to increase wages by 25% over five years, these workers have moved their proposal to 21.5% over five years, to catch up with inflation and help stabilise the workforce, while helping the city attract and retain qualified workers.
“Our City, Vaudreuil-Dorion, is an extraordinary and dynamic place! It is experiencing high growth and development at lightning speeds. In this context, efficient and reliable public services are essential. This has brought on many challenges for our members, but they are motivated to meet those challenges head-on and are proud of their work. We only want the City to live up to their own ambitions and create the conditions needed for success. We are not asking for gifts or handouts, instead we need wise investments here,” said Maurice Pilon, CUPE 1432 president.
“Despite generally positive labour relations with our employer, we sense their resistance to grant wage increases that would meet the needs of our workforce. For this reason, we are starting a gradual mobilization to highlight our issues for residents and the employer. A strike is not out of the question for this summer, but we are taking a measured approach that is respectful of residents,” said the president in closing.
