Latest news with #Zetrenne
CBC
03-05-2025
- Business
- CBC
Montreal IKEA employees launch 10-day strike
Employees at the IKEA store in Montreal launched a 10-day strike on Saturday over the employer's insufficient wage offers, their union said. Workers in Montreal have been without a contract since January. IKEA Montreal said the store remains open. However, the following departments are temporarily closed: Småland Kitchen planning department (Plan and order points in Boisbriand, Lachenaie and Vaudreuil remain open) Swedish restaurant Bistro Returns Click and collect service Delivery service The Montreal union, affiliated with the Confédération des syndicats nationaux (CSN), says workers at the store earn less than those at similar workplaces and is therefore calling for compensation. The Syndicat d'IKEA de Montréal represents some 450 employees in positions ranging from the warehouse to the showroom and the kitchen. It argues that the employer is not offering employees a wage indexed to inflation. 'It's really an insult to us,' says union president Elie Zetrenne, president of the Syndicat d'IKEA de Montréal, said that, on April 23, IKEA proposed a raise of 50 cents a year for employees at the top of the wage scale. "It's really an insult to us," he said in an interview. The union noted that for all salary levels, the employer has proposed a wage increase of around five per cent over four years, on average. Currently, an IKEA employee in Montreal can earn up to $25.42 per hour at the top of the pay scale, Zetrenne argued. "What we asked for was a 14 per cent increase because we're taking into account the cost of living with gas, rising rents, groceries," said the union president. "We want our wages to reach around $30 over three to four years," he added. Zetrenne maintains that IKEA employees are asking for a raise that would allow them to live better. "The vision of IKEA Montreal, of IKEA in general, is to improve the daily lives of as many people as possible. And a 50-cent increase does not improve the daily lives of its employees," Zetrenne said. The IKEA store in Montreal remained open on Saturday, but only management staff were on duty, Zetrenne said. Alicia Carroll, a spokesperson for IKEA Canada, said in a statement to CBC News that the employer was negotiating for a collective bargaining agreement with the union representing employees at the Montreal store. "During this period, we aim to maintain as much of our regular operations as possible, making necessary changes to our services as required," Carroll said. "We are committed to working collaboratively with all parties involved to reach a collective agreement as soon as possible. Our priority remains supporting our co-workers during this time, and the continued service to our valued customers." Founded in Sweden, the chain is now headquartered in the Netherlands and has 16 stores across Canada. Three are in Quebec: Montreal, Boucherville and Quebec City.
CTV News
03-05-2025
- Business
- CTV News
IKEA employees in Montreal launch strike
Employees at the IKEA store in Montreal went on strike at midnight Saturday, citing inadequate pay offers from the employer. The CSN-affiliated Syndicat d'Ikea de Montréal said the furniture shop's unionized employees earn less than workers at other retailers like Costco, and are calling for a catch-up. The union, which represents about 450 employees, wants higher-ups to earn around $30 per hour, but says they are far from it. Union President Elie Zetrenne says employees at the top of IKEA's pay-scale currently earn $25.42 per hour. Zetrenne says they were offered a five per cent increase over four years, while the union is asking for 14 per cent. 'When you consider the price of gas, of food, of houses, of rent; it's really not enough,' he told CTV News from the picket line. Union members adopted a 10-day strike mandate, but Zetrenne said the strike would end as soon as a collective agreement is signed. He said negotiations are set to resume Monday. In the meantime, management is running the Montreal location and certain departments are temporarily closed, including: Småland Kitchen planning department IKEA Swedish Restaurant Bistro Returns Click + Pick-up service Delivery service 'We support and stand by our co-workers in their right to strike and remain dedicated to reach a collective agreement, and to resume regular store operations as soon as possible,' IKEA said in a statement on its website. IKEA employees in Montreal have been without a collective agreement since January, according to the union. Zetrenne says IKEA's finances are in good shape, and the employer should work toward maintaining its employees' purchasing power. 'The vision of IKEA is to improve the life of the many, and we want IKEA to also improve the lives of their coworkers by giving them a [proper] raise ... 50 cents is not enough,' he said.
