IKEA is insulting its employees. That's the message from IKEA Montreal workers, who were on strike all day yesterday. They didn't expect it to come to this, but IKEA's offer to raise the top wage scale by only 50 cents, while leaving other workers without a raise, crossed the red line.
It was the third day of a 10-day bank of strike days adopted on April 23. That day, workers at the store in the west of Montreal had gathered in a general assembly to receive the employer's offer. That's when they discovered, to their horror, the offer—which caused a great deal of “incomprehension and frustration,” according to Elie Zetrenne, president of the IKEA Montreal–CSN union.
The entry-level salary would remain at $18.50, slightly above the Montreal average for a cashier, but below average for a warehouse clerk. The maximum wage, currently $25.42, would rise to $25.92. According to the Institut de Recherche Socio-Économique (IRIS), a single person in Montreal needs $28 per hour (before taxes) to meet their needs and deal with unforeseen events.
“Right now, there's a lot of tension in the store,” says Zetrenne to The North Star. “The atmosphere is heavy because we're seeing rent increases. We're seeing gas and groceries go up, too. So, members are expecting an increase that will help them offset the cost of living.”
“It's frustrating,” he continues. “Workers are confused. They can't understand the employer's position, because we know they're making money. It's thanks to us that they're making hundreds of millions!”
He also notes that workers are impatient. “They're constantly asking us, ‘Is the strike today? Is it tomorrow?’”
Members no longer believe in negotiation under current conditions, concludes the union president. No surprise: IKEA hasn't budged since the first meeting and didn't react to the two days of strike action on May 3 and 4. And according to the union, IKEA is trying to delay negotiations by calling in a government mediator.
Beyond Montreal
Things are heating up at IKEA in other parts of the world too. In Perryville, Maryland, a distribution centre was on strike from November 2024 to January 2025. Union members held out for two months, sometimes blocking traffic to add to the pressure.
These actions led to two police stops and an injunction. The IAM union even had to sue the police for obstructing the right to demonstrate and the right of association. Despite IKEA's inflexibility, this tense standoff enabled union members to win the pay rises they demanded and protect their seniority.
More recently, in Italy, three IKEA unions joined forces to call nationwide strike days on February 20 and March 15. Operations at several stores were halted, and major rallies were held in Milan, Rome and Naples. They denounced pay inequalities, lack of career development prospects, compulsory work on public holidays, union repression and lack of job security.
“By massively participating in the last strike, [Italian IKEA workers] showed unity, determination and strength. IKEA must stop ignoring its workers and return to the negotiating table in good faith,” said Mathias Bolton, UNI Global Union Trade Officer, in a statement.