Hydro-Québec and Major Union Reach Tentative Deal After Months of Tension
There’s been an important development at Hydro-Québec that’s now drawing attention across the province. An agreement in principle has officially been reached between the Crown corporation and its second-largest union, which represents about 5,500 specialists and professionals working inside the organization. This union is a local branch of the Canadian Union of Public Employees, affiliated with the FTQ, and it plays a key role in Hydro-Québec’s day-to-day operations.
What makes this news significant is the timing and the context. The collective agreement for these workers had expired back in December 2024, and since then, negotiations had been dragging on. Over the past several weeks, pressure had been building, especially after union members began refusing to work overtime. That move was meant to push negotiations forward, and it appears to have worked. With this tentative deal now in place, the union has confirmed that all pressure tactics, including the overtime refusal, have been stopped immediately.
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At this stage, the details of the agreement haven’t been made public. That’s fairly standard in situations like this. The union has said the contents are being kept for members first and will be presented at general meetings as soon as possible. Those meetings will give members a chance to review the terms and decide whether or not the agreement should be formally ratified.
At the heart of this labour dispute was the issue of subcontracting. The union had been pushing hard to protect in-house expertise and safeguard jobs, arguing that too much external contracting could weaken long-term skills within Hydro-Québec. From the company’s side, management had maintained that flexibility was needed in order to respond to changing operational demands, especially as energy needs evolve and new projects come online. That tension between job protection and operational flexibility was a major sticking point throughout negotiations.
While it’s not yet clear how that balance was resolved, the agreement in principle suggests some middle ground was found. For Hydro-Québec, this tentative deal could help stabilize operations at a time when the utility is already dealing with increased demand, major infrastructure planning, and broader energy transition goals. For employees, it signals progress after months of uncertainty and workplace pressure.
Now, the focus shifts to the upcoming union meetings. If members vote in favour, it would officially end this chapter of labour unrest and bring a renewed sense of stability to one of Quebec’s most important public institutions. Until then, all eyes remain on what’s inside the deal and how workers respond once the details are finally shared.
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