Metro Laval produce distribution, transport and head office workers on indefinite strike

Around 550 workers at Metro Inc.'s fruit and vegetable distribution centre in Laval — the group's only such facility in Quebec — together with drivers at the Mérite 1 warehouse in Rivière-des-Prairies and office staff at the Montréal head office, began an open-ended strike on 30 March 2026. The action followed a seven-day negotiation blitz that failed to produce a deal, and was backed by a 97 per cent strike mandate.

The workers are represented by unions affiliated to the Fédération du commerce (CSN). Their collective agreement expired on 19 September 2025.

The main demand is wages: the previous agreement was negotiated before the pandemic and has been eroded by inflation. The dispute also covers the subcontracting of transport, health and safety, and protection for remote working at the head office. Strikers rejected Metro's initial wage offer unanimously on 2 April, and the CSN accused the company of using its contingency plan to work around Quebec's anti-scab law.

With a conciliator appointed by the Quebec Labour Minister, Metro put a full settlement offer to the union on 11 June 2026, weighted towards increases in the first twelve months of the contract.

Metro's quarterly results reported a post-tax loss of $66 million attributed directly to the dispute, and the union has pointed to those figures in arguing that the company can afford to settle. As of mid-August 2026 the strike was in its fifth month with no agreement.