Unionized construction workers in Cape Breton went on strike Monday, looking for wage increases after making what they call "substantial" concessions during the pandemic to keep the industry working under difficult conditions.

Picket lines have gone up at several major worksites around Cape Breton Regional Municipality, including the university, hospitals and a long-term care home, projects the unions call "critical infrastructure."

According to a release quoting Cape Breton Island Building and C…