August 5 will mark the eighth month of lockout for the fifty workers at Béton Provincial (BP) in LaSalle and Longueuil. The lockout was triggered by the employer after the workers unanimously rejected a management offer they deemed unacceptable. Concrete industry workers across the province are watching this fight closely, as the contract that these workers obtain will likely serve as a precedent.

During negotiations, the LaSalle and Longueuil workers are asking for an 18% wage increase over four years. For its part, the employer is offering nothing less than a complete wage freeze until 2027, followed by a 2% annual increase in 2028 and 2029, as well as the abolition of pension and group insurance plans.

It should be noted that the consumer price index in Quebec has risen by 15.5% over the past four years.

According to workers at the LaSalle plant interviewed by North Star, the hardline stance of controversial CEO André Bélanger can be explained by the fact that the company is seeking to set an example by “cutting off the head” of one of the industry’s “strongest” unions: