Montreal’s blue-collar workers are warning they could step up pressure tactics during next month’s UCI Road World Championships if contract negotiations with the city fail to move forward.
The union representing about 6,200 municipal workers has been without a collective agreement since the end of 2024 and has already staged two strikes this year. The Sept. 20-27 championships are expected to bring more than 1,000 athletes from nearly 80 countries to Montreal, with organizers estimating around 500,000 spectators will line the race routes.
“If the City of Montreal does not accelerate the pace of negotiations, the Montreal Blue Collar Workers Union will have no choice but to intensify its pressure tactics, which could lead to a historic labour dispute during the UCI Road World Championships,” union president Nicolas De Ciccio said in a statement Monday.
The Montreal Blue Collar Workers Union, CUPE Local 301, said tensions have sharpened as the city prepares roads for the international event. It accused Montreal of awarding resurfacing contracts to private companies while asking its own blue-collar workers to help with preparations.
According to the union, city managers approached workers at the beginning of August to assist with work ahead of the championships. The union said workers agreed, but efforts to use the cooperation as an opportunity to advance contract talks were rejected by the city.
De Ciccio also criticized the use of private contractors, claiming the city has acknowledged outsourced work can cost three to four times more than having municipal employees carry it out.
About 10 bargaining sessions have taken place since the beginning of May, according to the union, with wages remaining a key point of disagreement. Its negotiating committee offered Aug. 7 to increase the frequency of talks in an effort to reach a deal.
The City of Montreal did not immediately respond Monday to a request for comment.