2025-2029 Construction Collective Agreements: What’s Changing for Employers in 2026

The second wage increase set out in the collective agreements for Quebec’s construction industry is now in effect. Since April 26, 2026, a 5% increase applies across all four sectors, together with upward adjustments to contributions, travel allowances, and room and board allowances. For contractors, this is the moment to confirm that pay scales, contracts, and time tracking systems reflect the new parameters. Here’s what employers should be watching in their day-to-day operations, with the key dates, figures, and actions to take.

A renewed framework for the four construction sectors

Quebec’s construction labour relations regime is divided into four distinct sectors: institutional-commercial, industrial, civil engineering and roadworks, and residential. Each is governed by a collective agreement negotiated between an employer association (ACQ for IC/I, ACRGTQ for civil engineering and roadworks, APCHQ for residential) and the Alliance syndicale, which brings together the industry’s five unions: FTQ-Construction, SQC, CSN-Construction, CSD-Construction, and the Conseil provincial du Québec des métiers de la construction (International).

The 2025-2029 collective agreements have been in force for nearly a year in the institutional-commercial, industrial, and civil engineering and roadworks sectors, and since last summer in the residential sector, which was ratified after three weeks of strike action. They apply through April 30, 2029. The second year of application coincides with the April 26, 2026 increase, which marks the first annual adjustment since the initial entry into force.

22% wage increases over four years: where do we stand?

The agreement provides for total wage increases of 22% spread over the four years of the contract in the IC/I and civil engineering and roadworks sectors:

• 8% in year 1 (applied upon entry into force)
• 5% on April 26, 2026 (currently in effect)
• 5% on April 25, 2027
• 4% on April 30, 2028

For employers, the 2026 adjustment is more than a wage bump: it comes with automatic re-indexation of employer contributions to the group insurance plan (MÉDIC) and pension plan, which track the same percentage as the wage increases. In practical terms, the employer MÉDIC contribution rises to $3.11 per hour in 2026, and the pension contribution for journeymen reaches $5.21 per hour. These figures must be integrated without delay into payroll software so that CCQ timesheets produce compliant monthly reports.

Key changes for employers in 2026

Indexation of travel allowances and room and board allowances

Allowances that had been frozen since 2016 have been revalued and will continue to climb each year. In the IC/I sectors, under the general rule, the travel allowance beyond 65 km reaches $50.01 in 2026, rising to $52.51 in 2027 and $54.61 in 2028. For a trip beyond 90 km, it rises to $56.58 in 2026. The room and board allowance beyond 120 km was raised to $184 in April 2026 and will reach $200 in 2028.

Specific grids exist for each trade: boilermaker, elevator mechanic, insulator, pile driver, crane operator, and so on. These amounts must be integrated into payroll systems immediately. The most common error is to keep the old rates for remote jobsites. An employee who has been underpaid has recourse, and the CCQ can step in when a complaint is filed.

Proof of address change

Since the agreements came into force, employers may require up to two forms of proof recognized by the CCQ in addition to the competency certificate when a worker changes address. The new allowance rate applies after a 20-business-day delay following receipt of the supporting documents. This clause tightens administrative management and avoids retroactive adjustments that are difficult to justify at month’s end.

Easier access to compressed work schedules

Several trades now have broader access to compressed schedules. Electricians can now work a 4×10 schedule Monday through Thursday, provided this does not trigger regular overtime. The employer simply has to notify the majority union group by email by the preceding Friday at the latest. Boilermakers can be placed on a compressed schedule Tuesday through Friday, set for the duration of the jobsite. In the industrial sector, insulators and millwrights can also be placed on a compressed schedule after reaching an agreement with their employees.

This flexibility can improve productivity on certain jobsites, provided its application is documented precisely in timesheets and is traceable in the register of daily activities and payroll.

Mobile punching remains tightly regulated

The rules from the March 2023 arbitration ruling are fully carried over into the 2025-2029 agreements. The mobile punch app remains permitted under strict conditions: written consent from the employee using the form set out in the collective agreement (Schedule W-1 in residential, Schedule N-1 in IC/I, Schedule Z-7-1 in civil engineering and roadworks), a ban on continuous geolocation, a mandatory alternative method for employees who refuse, and anonymization of the data. Employers already using a compliant solution have nothing to change.

Inflation protection in 2029

One structural addition: an inflation protection payment will be made on April 29, 2029, indexed on CPI plus 0.5%, with a floor of 2.5% and a ceiling of 4%. In return, the Alliance syndicale commits not to seek retroactive wage adjustments during the 2029-2033 negotiations. For employers, that means greater budget predictability heading into the next round of talks.

What employers need to do right now

Three priorities stand out to stay compliant after the April 2026 increase.

1. Update your pay scales in your payroll software. The new hourly rates in effect since April 26, 2026 translate into a wage increase across all four construction sectors: 5% in institutional-commercial, industrial, civil engineering and roadworks, and heavy residential, and 5.5% in light residential.

2. Check your hour tracking system. Accurate recording of hours worked by employee, by trade, and by jobsite is the only way to guarantee a compliant declaration in the CCQ monthly report. A mobile punch app compliant with Act R-20 automates this work and reduces transcription errors.

3. Train your administrative team. The changes affect several specific trades (insulator, boilermaker, electrician, sheet metal worker, elevator mechanic, pile driver, and others). The highlights published by the employer associations are the most reliable summary tools, and should be reviewed with each annual adjustment.

Looking ahead to 2027 to better manage 2026

The second year of the 2025-2029 agreements calls for heightened rigour on compliance. The next 5% increase is already locked in for April 25, 2027, followed by a 4% increase on April 30, 2028, adjustments that must be factored into ongoing contracts and bids. The employers who come out ahead are the ones who automate repetitive tasks (timesheets, registers of daily activities, CCQ monthly reports) and focus their attention on people and operations. Automating compliance means freeing yourself from administrative risk so you can focus on your jobsites.