City Workers Walk Off the Job over “Mandatory Barbecue”

Thousands of garbage bags sat in the beating sun for six hours on Thursday morning, going uncollected by workers who organized a sit-in at Montreal’s Sud-Ouest borough.

Some 50 union members refused to leave the garage as of 6 a.m. after management threatened to dock a half day’s pay if they didn’t attend an “employee appreciation barbecue” next week. Sources in the union say the threat was the “straw that broke the camel’s back” amid budget cuts and worsening labour conditions.

Four out of the borough’s 10 garbage trucks are out of commission, two of its three sidewalk sweepers are in the shop and the team that used to repair sidewalks has been cut for the summer. Bonuses for team leaders — union workers tasked with supervising their colleagues — have also been eliminated and much of the borough’s tree planting service has been outsourced to a private contractor, according to three union sources. None would go on the record for fear of professional reprisals.

When it was confirmed Thursday that employees would be punished if they chose to work instead of attending a barbecue next week, union members organized a sit-in.

“It was just a rumour, but this morning, management was unequivocal: ‘If you don’t attend, you’ll lose four hours from your pay,’” said one union member who participated in the sit-in. “And that’s despite our members saying they’d rather make themselves available to work than attend a barbecue. But management has made it clear that, whether we want to or not, participation is mandatory.”

“It was a verbal directive presented in the cafeteria this morning. And it was clearly not endorsed by the manager telling us about it.”

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Over five hours into the action, Sud-Ouest borough mayor Benoit Dorais was unaware of the labour unrest, according to two sources at city hall. Shortly after he found out, the borough backed down, withdrawing its threat to dock the workers’ pay for not participating in the barbecue. 

“This is not a good look for the city,” said a source close to the borough mayor. “I can understand wanting employees to attend an event, but you don’t threaten them. That’s an abuse of power.”

Another source at the borough called Thursday’s incident “a misunderstanding” that was fixed within a matter of hours.

Because of Thursday’s sit-in, there were delays in garbage collection, aqueduct repairs, sidewalk cleaning, graffiti removal and other services.

Workers who participated in the action will be docked a half day’s pay. But union sources say they’ll contest it before the Commission des relations du travail, a body that rules on alleged violations of the blue-collar workers’ collective bargaining agreement.

“This morning, a small portion of our borough’s blue-collar workers delayed the beginning of their work day because of a workplace relations issue,” said Céline Vaillancourt, chief spokesperson for the Sud-Ouest borough. “The situation is resolved and the workers are back on the job. These workers will not be paid for the hours they missed and discussions will continue between the parties.”

Responding to claims of deteriorating workplace conditions, Vaillancourt said the borough employs the same — and even slightly more — workers than it did in 2024. 

“It’s normal to adjust our work methods internally or externally based on our needs and priorities,” she added.

One of the issues plaguing relations between the city of Montreal and its blue-collar workers has been the gradual privatization of services normally handled by union members. Though often seen as a cost-saving measure, outsourcing garbage and snow removal has often led to overbilling and a deterioration in services.

The borough of Verdun terminated two contracts with the waste management firm Services Environmentaux Richelieu (SER) in 2018 after Montreal’s inspector general found “fraudulent and systemic” problems with the company. An investigation into SER found workers repeatedly mixing trash with recyclable materials — which is illegal — and a culture of overbilling.

In 2016, the city cancelled snow removal contracts with Pavages d’Amours after the company racked up $150,000 in fines over missing benchmarks in its contract. The company’s trucks also destroyed over 20 pieces of municipal property — including fire hydrants and park benches — in a single winter.

There are at least nine boroughs that outsource garbage collection on the island of Montreal, according to public records.

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