Workers at Metro’s head office and the Laval, Que., fruit and vegetable distribution centre went on strike Monday morning.
The strike includes about 550 warehouse workers and drivers at the Mérite 1 warehouse in the Rivière-des-Prairies neighbourhood of Montreal.
The union claims they supply around 1,000 Metro stores across Quebec, though management says it’s closer to 300.
Management also said it was hoping a strike could be avoided.
“We are very disappointed by this decision, particularly given that we have been negotiating with the union for several months to reach an agreement that meets the needs of our employees and our customers in a highly competitive market,” said Caroline Larocque, vice-president of logistics and distribution for Quebec at Metro, in a press release.
The grocer said it implemented a contingency plan “to maintain a normal supply of products in the stores it serves” during the strike.
The trade union, the Fédération du commerce, affiliated with the CSN, already has a mandate for an indefinite general strike, which was approved by 97 per cent of its members. The current strike is open-ended, depending on how the situation develops, the union announced on Monday.
Pay and working conditions are at the heart of the dispute.
The union is demanding a larger pay increase. The previous agreement provided for 11 per cent increases between 2019 and 2025.
Marie-Claude Bacon, vice-president of public affairs and communications at Metro, said the union is demanding a 20 per cent increase for the first year, followed by five per cent in each subsequent year. She said the demand is “unreasonable.”
The union reports that the starting wage at the warehouse is $20.29 an hour and, at head office, $19.88 an hour.
Bacon specified that a “benchmark employee” at the warehouse earns $33.71 an hour, as they reach the top of the pay scale after five years.
The union also wants to protect drivers’ jobs and their working conditions against the use of subcontractors.
The option to work from home is also an issue for head office staff.
Health and safety at work are also part of the dispute.
Union president Matthieu Lafontaine said the union has already withdrawn several demands to focus on core priorities.
“We made several counter-proposals, but despite this, the employer remains light years away from what the workers want to achieve, namely a significant recovery of the purchasing power lost over recent years,” he said.
Metro management stressed it is “determined to reach a negotiated agreement as soon as possible.”
This report by The Canadian Press was first published March 30, 2026.
Lia Lévesque, The Canadian Press
