Hydro‑Québec Overtime Strike Set to Begin Amid Subcontracting Dispute

Nearly 9,000 Hydro‑Québec employees represented by two local CUPE chapters affiliated with the FTQ will refuse overtime starting the night of May 14. The action follows two years without a collective agreement and a union‑led complaint that the utility’s growing use of subcontractors raises costs and erodes internal expertise. Union president Frédéric Savard warned the strike could disrupt the company’s action plan, while Hydro‑Québec says overtime is essential for restoring service during outages.

The Administrative Labour Tribunal must still determine which services are truly essential and whether the agreed list protects public health and safety. The dispute also references a costly incident at the Micoua substation, which the union claims illustrates the risks of outsourcing critical work. Both sides have agreed on a list of essential services to be maintained during the overtime refusal, but the final ruling remains pending.