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CTV News
3 days ago
- Business
- CTV News
Quebec residential construction strike comes to an end
A construction worker attaches a basket on a crane as they work on the rooftop of a residential apartment building in Levis, Que. on Tuesday, May 20, 2025. Residential construction workers were on strike. (Jacques Boissinot/The Canadian Press) The unions representing Quebec's residential construction workers have reached a tentative agreement with the Association des professionnels de la construction et de l'habitation du Québec (APCHQ), ending the strike. Workers had been on strike since May 28. The APCHQ said in a news release that all pressure tactics will stop at midnight. The five unions under the Alliance syndicale de la construction and the APCHQ will ask their members to vote on the agreement in the next two weeks. If it is rejected, the strike could resume. The agreement includes an eight per cent salary increase from the moment it is signed and arbitration for the following three years. It also includes increased travel expenses, a higher allowance for safety equipment, the creation of a committee to improve staff attraction and retention, and relaxed rules for employees with fewer than 1,500 hours under their belt. 'The large mobilization, the commitment of the members and the openness of the negotiating committee made it possible to finally reach a negotiated agreement,' said Alexandre Ricard, spokesperson for the union alliance. Of Quebec's four construction sectors (civil engineering, industrial, residential, and commercial) the residential sector was the only one that had not managed to renew its collective agreement, which expired April 30. The APCHQ said it took into consideration the sector's specific realities and households' ability to pay. 'With the tentative agreement, a degree of predictability will be in place, allowing employers and workers alike to contribute to the construction of thousands of homes that Quebec needs,' it said in a news release.
CTV News
6 days ago
- Business
- CTV News
Quebec construction strike: L'Alliance syndicale files complaint for bad faith bargaining
Work stoppage is seen on a residential construction site in the Montreal suburb of Pointe-Claire, Que., on Wednesday, May 28, 2025. (Christinne Muschi/The Canadian Press) L'Alliance syndicale de la construction says it is filing a complaint, alleging bad faith bargaining by the Association des professionnels de la construction et de l'habitation du Québec (APCHQ). In its complaint alleging a breach of the obligation to negotiate in good faith, the Alliance syndicale is accusing the APCHQ of conducting 'sham negotiations' without the real intention of reaching an agreement in principle for its collective agreement. The union also alleges interference and obstruction of union activities as contractors have allegedly offered workers wages higher than those provided for in the collective agreement with the aim, according to the union, of ending the strike. It will be up to the Administrative Labour Tribunal to decide on the matter after hearing the parties. Quebec's residential construction strike began on May 28. Approximately 60,000 of the 200,000 members of the Alliance syndicale work in residential construction. However, some construction sites remain active, with employees continuing to work despite the strike. Three other sectors of the construction industry renewed their respective collective agreements before the April 30 deadline: civil engineering/roads, industrial and commercial/institutional. – This report by The Canadian Press was first published in French on June 16, 2024.
CTV News
03-06-2025
- Business
- CTV News
Demonstration held to mark the first week of the residential construction strike
Work stoppage is seen on a residential construction site in the Montreal suburb of Pointe-Claire, Que., on Wednesday, May 28, 2025. (Christinne Muschi/The Canadian Press) The Construction Union Alliance will mark the first week of the residential construction strike by demonstrating on Wednesday at noon in front of one of the APCHQ offices in Anjou. The Alliance represents around 200,000 workers in the construction industry through the five trade unions that comprise it. Approximately 60,000 of these workers are employed in residential construction. The strike began at 12:01 a.m. on May 28, after last-ditch negotiations between the Association des professionnels de la construction et de l'habitation du Québec (APCHQ) and the Alliance syndicale proved unsuccessful. However, discussions have not broken down; the parties have met since the strike began. No meeting was scheduled for Tuesday, however. A mediator has already been assigned to the case to facilitate discussions. The three other sectors of the construction industry reached agreements before the collective agreements expired on April 30. These are civil engineering/roadworks, industrial and institutional/commercial. In these three sectors, the wage increases obtained are eight per cent for 2025, five per cent for 2026, five per cent for 2027 and four per cent for 2028, for a total of 22 per cent over four years. The union alliance is demanding the same increases for heavy residential construction (five and six storeys) as in other sectors, i.e. 22 per cent. For light residential construction (four storeys and less), it is demanding 24.35 per cent in order to catch up. Wages are indeed lower in the residential construction sector than in other sectors of the industry. The gap varies depending on the trade. The Alliance cites wages that are 6.5 to 14 per cent lower in the residential sector, depending on the trade. Its slogan for these negotiations is 'equal pay for equal work.' For its part, the APCHQ is offering 18 per cent wage increases over four years. The Quebec Construction Commission has already pointed out that, even though the union alliance has announced a strike, under the law governing this industry, 'a worker may strike or continue to work, and an employer may close its site or continue its activities.' Union representatives are, therefore, visiting certain construction sites to raise awareness among their colleagues about the issues and union demands. Similarly, 'the obligation to hold a certificate of competence for workers and a licence issued by the Régie du bâtiment du Québec (RBQ) for employers remains in force,' the construction commission has reiterated. This report by The Canadian Press was first published in French on June 3, 2025.
CTV News
30-05-2025
- Business
- CTV News
Negotiations continue on day 3 of residential construction strike
The Alliance syndicale de la construction and the Association des professionnels de la construction et de l'habitation du Québec (APCHQ) are set to continue talks Friday as the residential construction strike enters its third day. The APCHQ and the Alliance syndicale met on Thursday afternoon in the presence of a mediator assigned to the case. Although no agreement was reached on renewing the workers' collective agreement, which expired on April 30, the two parties agreed to continue discussions. Unlike in other sectors, pay rises negotiated in the construction industry are not retroactive to the expiry date of the previous collective agreement. Three other sectors of the construction industry — civil engineering/roads, institutional/commercial, and industrial — settled their agreements before they expired. The wage increases are eight per cent for 2025, five per cent for 2026, five per cent for 2027 and four per cent for 2028. The Alliance syndicale brings together all the construction unions, representing 200,000 workers. Around 60,000 of them work in residential construction. – This report by The Canadian Press was first published in French on May 30, 2024.
CBC
28-05-2025
- Business
- CBC
Workers in residential construction sector now on unlimited strike
Workers in Quebec's residential construction began an unlimited strike at midnight after failing to reach a deal with a group that represents residential developers in the province. The two sides held talks on Tuesday, but failed to strike a deal to avoid the work stoppage. The strike affects projects across Quebec for single-family homes, townhouses and residential buildings with six floors or less, excluding the basement. Projects for buildings with at least seven floors are not affected by this strike. The same goes for renovation, modification or maintenance projects paid for by a property owner. The main sticking point in the negotiations is compensation, with the unions seeking salary increases of 22 per cent over four years for heavy construction and 24.3 per cent for light construction. The workers are part of an alliance made up of five unions: FTQ-Construction, the Syndicat québécois de la construction, the Conseil provincial du Québec des métiers de la construction (International), CSD-Construction and CSN-Construction. The developers are part of the Association des professionnels de la construction et de l'habitation du Québec (APCHQ). The unions represent 200,000 workers, but less than 20 per cent of them are in the residential construction sector, according to recent data from the province's construction commission. The union members who work in the commercial, industrial and institutional construction sectors — which make up the vast majority of construction projects in the province — already reached deals of their own in March. The salary increases in that deal totalled 22 per cent over four years, on par with what the workers in the residential sector are asking for. The alliance representing the five unions is expected to hold a news conference at 10 a.m. on Wednesday.
