Montreal Mayor Calls for Return to Negotiations Following Disruptive Blue-Collar Protest
Montreal Mayor Soraya Martinez Ferrada expressed hope on Wednesday that the city and its blue-collar workers can return to productive negotiations following a disruptive protest that forced the suspension of a crucial city council meeting.
Council Meeting Disrupted During Budget Deliberations
Approximately 30 protesting blue-collar workers made their way into Montreal's city hall on Wednesday morning, forcing officials to suspend a council meeting during which the 2026 budget was scheduled for adoption. The workers, members of the Syndicat des cols bleus regroupés de Montréal (CUPE 301), entered the building while holding a protest outside.
Security personnel and police officers contained the workers to the entrance lobby, where they engaged in chanting, blew air horns, and banged on various items. The disruption lasted approximately 20 minutes while order was restored to the council chambers located on an upper floor.
Mayor Emphasizes Negotiation Over Protest
"When you're protesting in the streets, you're not at the negotiating table," Martinez Ferrada told reporters Wednesday evening. While acknowledging she wasn't surprised by the action given Montreal's history of blue-collar protests, the mayor emphasized her preference for resolving issues through formal negotiations.
The mayor posed a pointed question to the workers: "Are the residents watching this proud of their blue-collar workers? That's a question for the workers."
Contract Negotiations and Strike Threat
The union is currently negotiating a new collective agreement for its 6,500 members after their previous contract expired at the end of 2024. The workers have already announced a 24-hour strike planned for February 4, 2026.
Union president Jean-Pierre Lauzon criticized the city's budget framework in a Wednesday statement, saying: "This budget confirms exactly what we feared: the city is not giving itself the means to protect the purchasing power of its employees."
Lauzon added that with inflation significantly impacting workers, "this budget framework amounts to asking blue-collar workers to accept a net reduction" in their compensation.
Union Clarifies Protest Nature
The union issued a news release clarifying that Wednesday's action differed significantly from a 2014 incident when blue-collar and firefighters' unions had stormed city hall, invading municipal offices and council chambers while strewing papers throughout the building.
"The union wishes to clarify that city hall was in no way stormed by blue-collar workers as part of this mobilization," the statement read. "Around 30 blue-collar workers decided to enter city hall peacefully in order to attend the public city council meeting, which will have a decisive impact on their working conditions."
The union asserted that workers only began making noise when police officers blocked their access to the council meeting. By the end of the day, city hall's main entrances remained covered in union stickers placed during the protest.
The disruption occurred as Montreal's city council was preparing to adopt the 2026 budget, which includes property tax increases and significant investments in addressing homelessness throughout the municipality.
