Demonstration held to mark the first week of the residential construction strike
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.
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