Montreal Crane Operators Protest Non-Local Hires

November 20, 2015 - Crane operators with the FTQ-Construction union in Montreal plan a protest this morning to denounce the hiring of operators from outside the region to work on the new Champlain Bridge construction project. Operators are demonstrating outside the offices of their employers at SNC-Lavalin.

 

A delegation of crane workers plan to make their way to the offices of SNC-Lavalin Friday morning and hand over a list of unemployed crane operators from Montreal. The protest will then move to City Hall to ask Mayor Denis Coderre to intervene and ensure that only Montreal-based operators are hired on the local worksite.

 

It’s reported that six of the crane operators working on the new Champlain Bridge come from outside the region of Montreal. Union estimates have tracked some 20 Montreal crane operators who are currently unemployed and have the necessary skills to work on the new bridge. The FTQ-Construction union believes that employers should hire within the surrounding areas of the construction site, according to news reports.