MTL Blue Collar Workers Threaten to Ruin Cycling World Championships with Strike

[CaptRenault]

If the workers go through with their threat, it would be a big embarrassment for the city. The cycling world championships are a major global sports event which will already disrupt the normal life of the city with some road closures and detours. There will be athletes, team staff and visitors in the city from around the world. Garbage strewn streets would not be a good look for the city.

The cycling world championships were last held in Montreal in 1974, when the great Eddy Merckx won the race.

https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/montreal/blue-collar-workers-montreal-cycling-championships-strike-9.7329954

The blue-collar workers' union in Montreal has filed a seven-day strike notice, with workers expected to walk out near the end of September during the UCI 2026 Road World Championships.

The strike is scheduled to take place from Sept. 22 and 28 and could disrupt the event, which runs from Sept. 20 to 27 and will bring the world's best cyclists to Montreal.

''We have just wrapped up an intense round of negotiations and management does not seem to have a clear mandate regarding wages,'' said Nicolas De Ciccio, president of the union, the Syndicat des cols bleus regroupés de Montréal.
"The city is still offering wage increases below the inflation rate! Montreal’s blue-collar workers provide an essential service and deserve, at the very least, to be taken seriously at the bargaining table."

• Montreal's blue-collar workers could launch strike during road cycling world championships
• Montrealers, prepare for 'major disruptions' as city gets ready to host world's best cyclists

In a news release, the union said it was not walking away from the table and is waiting for a ''serious'' offer.
"We're not asking for the moon," continued De Ciccio.
The workers' collective agreement expired on Dec. 31, 2024. The union represents about 6,000 workers.
In mid-August, the union had already warned that if the city did not speed up negotiations, it would have "no choice" but to step up its pressure tactics, potentially leading to a "historic labour dispute" during the cycling event.

 

[CaptRenault]

https://montreal.citynews.ca/2026/09/19/montreal-white-blue-collar-workers-rally/

...De Ciccio said the union could use pressure tactics during the championships, but said cyclists’ health and safety would not be put at risk.

“We repeat. We’ve already said it. We do not want to—and will not—endanger the health and safety of cyclists. What we want is to send a message and show that the City of Montreal, as an employer, does not respect its employees if we fail to reach a tentative agreement...”

Well, that's good to know. But what about the health and safety of ordinary citizens? Hmm, we'll see.

 

[twenty4seven]

Strike all the things, esp. when it hurts the most. Collective action is the way.

 

[Assisto]

Strike all the things, esp. when it hurts the most. Collective action is the way.

Le local 301 de la ftq a émis hier un communiqué à l'effet qu'il y aurait entente de principe, qui devra être présentée aux membres avant d'être acceptée. J'ignore cependant si les journées de grève auront tout de même lieu...

 

[twenty4seven]

Le local 301 de la ftq a émis hier un communiqué à l'effet qu'il y aurait entente de principe, qui devra être présentée aux membres avant d'être acceptée. J'ignore cependant si les journées de grève auront tout de même lieu...

C'est formidable. L'action collective est le seul moyen pour les travailleurs d'obtenir ce qu'ils veulent.

 

[CLOUD 500]

C'est formidable. L'action collective est le seul moyen pour les travailleurs d'obtenir ce qu'ils veulent.

Yes well often they are asking for too much which is unreasonable, a good example of this were the Canada Post workers.

 

[CaptRenault]

Good news:

https://montreal.citynews.ca/2026/09/21/strike-avoided-blue-collar-workers/

 

[twenty4seven]

Yes well often they are asking for too much which is unreasonable, a good example of this were the Canada Post workers.

Hard disagree. Always ask for more, esp if they say it's unreasonable, and always stand with unions.

 

[CLOUD 500]

Hard disagree. Always ask for more, esp if they say it's unreasonable, and always stand with unions.

But they hold the public hostage like the STM workers did.

 

[twenty4seven]

But they hold the public hostage like the STM workers did.

I realize they pay media outlets to report things like this with a slant but I'm still don't understand why common people take the sides of corporations and governments over striking workers, like they're the only ones holding out during negotiations. They're the ones holding the public hostage, not the unions and strikers. If their workers were happy they wouldn't be striking.

We gotta stop doing the heavy lifting for cheap CEOs and poor civic managers.

 

[CLOUD 500]

I realize they pay media outlets to report things like this with a slant but I'm still don't understand why common people take the sides of corporations and governments over striking workers, like they're the only ones holding out during negotiations. They're the ones holding the public hostage, not the unions and strikers. If their workers were happy they wouldn't be striking.

We gotta stop doing the heavy lifting for cheap CEOs and poor civic managers.

The workers punish the civilians. They should punish the CEOs and managers. You do realize when the STM went on strike it does not affect CEOs and managers? They all got money and go by car. It is the poor and students who are penalized since they are not rich and are at the mercy of public transit. Then they got to pay a lot of money taking a taxi to get to work and school. I know they provided service during peak hours three times a day but not everyone work business hours. At one point they did not provide weekend service, what about all the people who work weekends? They had to take a taxi each time to get to and back home from work.

Can you imagine when if the government did not put the dock workers back to work? On their already great salaries they wanted more. Food would not reach store shelves prices would go up or there would be a shortage. Again CEOs and managers would not be affected much as they got the high salaries to pay for expensive food. The poor and students would be affected the most.

I do not think you see the big picture. Something to think about.

 

[twenty4seven]

I think we both see the picture, you just view it through the lens the oligarchs and powerful want you to.

Yes, when workers go on strike, ordinary people are affected more than C-suite execs, obv, but there are (at least) 2 sides to a negotiation. The workers are taking action collectively because a handful of people who make decisions are not meeting them in fair negotiations. So, are you under the impression that a bunch of mostly disconnected people from a lower income class, who all have families and bills and other responsibilities, WANT to stop working (and therefore getting paid) just to be vilified by the media and the public for their actions?

They're doing it because they feel they need to. So, who is to blame for services being out in a strike? The totality of the working class, whose needs and requests are being ignored and ridiculed by the powerful, or the small group of people holding the purse strings that are forcing them to strike?

You don't like the strikes? Pressure the decision makers to cough up the bucks. Don't take it out on the people doing the jobs you clearly desperately need them to be doing.

Something to think about.

 

[CLOUD 500]

I do not agree. Unionized workers are entitled. They get paid a lot more then those in the private sector. Did you read up on some of the demands of those Postal workers? Clearly they were entitled and disconnected from reality. They also choose to strike when to impacts civilians the most, last year they decided to strike in Fall when students go to work. The postal workers striked during holiday season. I am not on the side of corporations or these entitled unionized workers. I am on the side of the little guy, those working minimum wage and students because at the end they got to pay the price for their war.

 

[twenty4seven]

I do not agree. Unionized workers are entitled. They get paid a lot more then those in the private sector. Did you read up on some of the demands of those Postal workers? Clearly they were entitled and disconnected from reality. They also choose to strike when to impacts civilians the most, last year they decided to strike in Fall when students go to work. The postal workers striked during holiday season. I am not on the side of corporations or these entitled unionized workers. I am on the side of the little guy, those working minimum wage and students because at the end they got to pay the price for their war.

Yes, strikes are more effective when they will hurt the most.
Yes, they publish salaries/demands/etc on purpose so people making less (and sometimes more) will criticize the worker instead of the owners
Yes, unions should get paid more than the private sector

No, no one needs to 'pay the price' if business owners come to negotiations in good faith and work to mitigate worker unrest. Striking only happens when workers can't get that through to management.
No, union workers aren't entitled, they're emboldened. They know wholeheartedly what you fail to understand. Working alone, you can't move these behemoths off paying you as little as humanly possible (and often even less than that). Working together is the only way to get things done.
No, you're not on the side of the little guy. By defending owners and vilifying workers, you're doing their job for them, so you're on their side.

 

[CLOUD 500]

No, you're not on the side of the little guy. By defending owners and vilifying workers, you're doing their job for them, so you're on their side.

Yes I am, you are not you are motivated by a misguided ideology. Tell that to the guy that has to go to work on the weekend and has to spend $25 Uber one way then another $25 to back home. The workers penalize the public. The workers take advantage to get what they want.

Japan bus drivers: Strikes with a difference

As Japanese bus drivers refuse to take fares, here are some of the world's most unusual strikes.

www.bbc.com

https://www.npr.org/2018/05/03/607996787/japans-striking-bus-drivers-refuse-to-charge-customers

^^^^ See Japan has got it right. When their transit workers go on strike they hurt the ones responsible, the managers and corporations. The workers continue doing their shifts and running their routes but do not collect fares. The only thing corporations respond to is when you hit their bottom line.

 

[twenty4seven]

Yes I am, you are not you are motivated by a misguided ideology. Tell that to the guy that has to go to work on the weekend and has to spend $25 Uber one way then another $25 to back home. The workers penalize the public. The workers take advantage to get what they want.

Japan bus drivers: Strikes with a difference

As Japanese bus drivers refuse to take fares, here are some of the world's most unusual strikes.

www.bbc.com

https://www.npr.org/2018/05/03/607996787/japans-striking-bus-drivers-refuse-to-charge-customers

^^^^ See Japan has got it right. When their transit workers go on strike they hurt the ones responsible, the managers and corporations. The workers continue doing their shifts and running their routes but do not collect fares. The only thing corporations respond to is when you hit their bottom line.

The workers are the public ffs... They're just like you or me, they get impacted by outages and strikes when other unions and industries strike, that's why class solidarity is crucial and it's EXACTLY why the owners need to make them the bad guys in the public eye, so someone can jump on a forum for sex workers and complain about other working class people while dickriding the owner class.

Almost nothing affects the money, and striking hurts the people doing it IMMEDIATELY that's why striking is the last resort. If they were met in good faith they wouldn't ever strike. It's great when you can do it in a way that doesn't impact other people but that rare and it's also part of the beauty of collective action; if striking hurts the public they also get involved and that's why the owners of capitol will spend a chunk of it to try and deflect blame, but who is ultimately the one with the solution? Who can fix any potential strike in seconds? The ones holding the money. They hold out as long as they can to see which way the wind blows in the public eye and then still end up making the deal if the public isn't buying it (which they never should).

It's irrelevant to talk about this if you can't see that. This pull up your socks and suck-it-up attitude people have about other people in the same socio-economic situation asking for more of their employers is lame and really a projection. A projection based on the shame that they either can't or won't do it themselves in their workplace if a similar situation occurred. Don't worry though, the unions will still do all the heavy lifting, even if they get a black eye from keyboard warriors, and their rising tide will raise all ships. Without them we would have no weekends, no workplace safety standards, no minimum wage and an even greater income disparity then we already currently do. Fuck, we'd probably still have kids working in mines without them.

Anyway, nice chat. Strike every fucking thing and never cross a picket line.