Hydro-Québec skilled workers plan overtime ban from Nov. 20

MONTREAL – The union representing 6,200 skilled workers at Hydro-Québec has announced a second round of strikes, a refusal to work overtime from 12:01 a.m. on Nov. 20 to 11:59 p.m. on Nov. 30.

The union said essential services will be maintained and proposed the same levels its members provided during the previous strike, which ran from Oct. 23 to Nov. 2. The Administrative Labour Tribunal still has to rule on those services.

The members are covered by a local of the Canadian Union of Public Employees (CUPE), affiliated with the Fédération des travailleurs et travailleuses du Québec. The union has 6,271 members, including operators, fitters, electricians and mechanics.

The use of subcontractors is at the heart of the dispute. Hydro-Québec said it has always used subcontractors and noted that its in-house workforce is nonetheless growing. The union said it has no choice but to strike again in the hope of moving negotiations forward on a new collective agreement.

The workers’ last collective agreement expired on Dec. 31, 2023, which means they have been without a contract for almost three years.

The dispute lands as the Crown corporation faces other pressures, including a plan to double power rates for data centres and a $2-billion warning over federal fish-protection rules, which Ottawa paused in October.

This report draws on reporting by The Canadian Press.

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