Montreal IKEA employees go on strike, call for higher pay raises

Employees at the IKEA store in Montreal went on strike for two days this weekend over the employer's insufficient wage offers, their union said.

But on Sunday, the Syndicat d'IKEA de Montréal told CBC that workers were back on the job as of midnight and that there would be negotiations on Monday.

According to the union, employees said they wanted to give talks a chance. 

Workers in Montreal have been without a contract since January.

IKEA Montreal said the store remains open.

However, the following departments were closed this weekend. 

• Småland
• Kitchen planning department (Plan and order points in Boisbriand, Lachenaie and Vaudreuil remain open)
• Swedish restaurant
• Bistro
• Returns
• Click and collect service
• Delivery service

The Montreal union, affiliated with the Confédération des syndicats nationaux (CSN), said workers at the store earn less than those at similar workplaces and is therefore calling for better compensation. The Syndicat d'IKEA de Montréal represents some 450 employees in positions ranging from the warehouse to the showroom and the kitchen.

It argued that the employer was not offering employees a wage indexed to inflation.

The union had up to 10 strike days it could use. A spokesperson for the CSN says it's not clear when the remaining eight days will be used to apply pressure on the employer and the union will evaluate its options on a daily basis.

'It's really an insult to us,' says union president

Elie Zetrenne, president of the Syndicat d'IKEA de Montréal, said that, on April 23, IKEA proposed a raise of 50 cents per year for employees at the top of the wage scale.

"It's really an insult to us," he said in an interview. 

The union noted that for all salary levels, the employer has proposed a wage increase of around five per cent over four years, on average.

Currently, an IKEA employee in Montreal can earn up to $25.42 per hour at the top of the pay scale, Zetrenne argued.

"What we asked for was a 14 per cent increase because we're taking into account the cost of living with gas, rising rents, groceries," said the union president.

"We want our wages to reach around $30 over three to four years," he added.

Zetrenne maintains that IKEA employees are asking for a raise that would allow them to live better.

"The vision of IKEA Montreal, of IKEA in general, is to improve the daily lives of as many people as possible. And a 50-cent increase does not improve the daily lives of its employees," Zetrenne said.

The IKEA store in Montreal remained open on Saturday, but only management staff were on duty, Zetrenne said.

In a statement to CBC News, Alicia Carroll, a spokesperson for IKEA Canada, said the company was "committed to working collaboratively with all parties involved" to reach a deal as soon as possible while minimizing the strike's impact on customers. 

"During this period, we aim to maintain as much of our regular operations as possible, making necessary changes to our services as required," Carroll said.

"Our priority remains supporting our co-workers during this time, and the continued service to our valued customers."

Founded in Sweden, the chain is now headquartered in the Netherlands and has 16 stores across Canada. Three are in Quebec: Montreal, Boucherville and Quebec City.