After weeks of tension and delays, on October 30, the 900 members of the Laval Workers' Union will finally be called upon to make a decision on the mediated settlement. The vote could lead to a long-awaited extension of the collective bargaining agreement, which expired in December 2021.
A process full of pitfalls
For the first time, a union has committed to presenting and recommending a 9/11 mediation proposal. General meetings were scheduled to take place on October 9 and 10, but they were canceled at the last minute.
According to city officials, the delay was aimed at clarifying some provisions regarding the principle of harmonization of texts, a mechanism designed to ensure the consistency of the collective agreement and preserve the gains of workers.
However, the union rejects this explanation.
“It was the city authorities who did not want to comply with the agreement in principle. They referred to consent, although this was never discussed. The status quo was agreed on these points,” says Louis-Pierre Plourde, president of the Blue Collar Union of Laval.
Both sides finally met with a mediator last Thursday to make the necessary adjustments to the text. This meeting led to a new union vote being called.
Constant disagreements
Despite progress, trust remains fragile. The union is criticizing the city for moving away from an agreement in principle reached in September, particularly on sick leave and overtime.
“We talked for hours, days, months for a year… and we never talked about it. Why would we take that away?” regrets Mr. Plourde, who believes that these changes could result in losses of several hundred dollars per year for some employees.
He said the union failed to present its members with an agreement “that the city no longer wanted to honor.”
Compromise from a mediator
To break the deadlock, the mediator submitted a revised proposal that included some additional adjustments.
“Labor may have thought we would swallow this without saying anything. Thanks to the intervention of a mediator, we got a decision based on proportionality rather than consent,” the union president claims.
Despite the more conciliatory tone, Mr Plourde admits mistrust remains: “They thought we would see nothing but fire. We had to hold on, but at least we were heard.”
On the way to ending the crisis?
The Oct. 30 vote will be a decisive step in a labor dispute that has dragged on for nearly four years. If the mediator's proposal is accepted, it will end a long period of uncertainty for municipal employees and pave the way for a collective agreement that both sides consider “fair and consistent.”
Otherwise, discussions may resume under the supervision of the Ministry of Labor.
Main stages of negotiations
- December 31, 2021 – Expiration of the previous collective agreement.
- March 28, 2023 – Start of negotiations.
- October 25, 2023 – The city requires mediation.
- November 7, 2023 – One-day general strike.
- December 15–17, 2023 – Strike in municipal arenas.
- March 7, 2024 – Termination of mediation without agreement.
- November 7, 2024 – City proposal rejected 99.3% members.
- from December 2024 to June 2025 – Resumption of discussions.
- March and July 2025 – Only eight days of strike.
- July 29, 2025 – Submission of a settlement proposal by the mediator, which is accepted by the city.
- September 11, 2025 – The union agrees to present this proposal to its members.
- October 8, 2025 – Cancellation of scheduled meetings.
- October 23, 2025 — Final adjustment of the proposal in the presence of an intermediary.
- October 30, 2025 – Members vote on proposed regulations.
