Montreal and Laval Paramedics Overturn Tentative Deal by 60 Per Cent
Montreal and Laval paramedics rejected a tentative contract agreement by 60 per cent, prolonging a bitter labor dispute over chronic staffing shortages and excessive overtime that has left workers without a collective agreement for more than three years, according to the Syndicat du préhospitalier.
Paramedics serving Montreal and Laval voted down the proposed deal last month, according to the Syndicat du préhospitalier. The vote follows intensive negotiations in late July that initially produced an agreement in principle between union representatives and the Quebec government. While members in Montreal and Laval rejected the terms, voting results from other regions across the province remain pending, according to the Syndicat du préhospitalier.
Persistent Wage Disagreements and Mandatory Overtime Fuel Frustration
The labor dispute centers primarily on persistent wage disagreements and what union members describe as excessive mandatory overtime hours.
The Syndicat du préhospitalier is affiliated with the Fédération de la santé et des services sociaux (FSSS-CSN), a labor organization representing roughly 3,500 paramedics across the province. That total includes more than 1,000 workers at Urgences-santé, the agency responsible for emergency medical services in Montreal and Laval, according to the FSSS-CSN.
Escalating Job Actions and Pressure Tactics Halt Non-Essential Tasks
Paramedics represented by the CSN staged a series of job actions in July 2025, halting various non-essential tasks to pressure the employer during stalled talks.
Those pressure tactics began escalating last June when union members announced a blanket refusal to work overtime shifts in several regions of Quebec. The job actions were temporarily suspended only after negotiators reached the tentative agreement in late July, according to union statements reported by uk.news.yahoo.com.
Urban Emergency Workers Face High Call Volumes and Depleted Rosters
With the tentative agreement defeated in Montreal and Laval, future bargaining sessions remain uncertain.
Provincial Bargaining Unit Awaits Final Regional Vote Counts
While workers in Quebec’s two largest urban centers rejected the terms, the outcome for thousands of other paramedics across the province hinges on the remaining regional vote counts.
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