‘Standing up for our rights’: CSN union demonstrates on downtown Montreal streets amid negotiations
Posted October 27, 2023 12:35 pm.
Workers from the Federation of Health and Social Services – the CSN union – took to the streets of downtown Montreal Friday.
While a negotiation meeting was taking place inside offices on Stanley Street, demonstrators showed the urgent need to improve working conditions outside.
“We are standing up for our rights, we are standing up to improve our working conditions and we are standing up to be listened to by the government,” says Dominique Daigneault, President of the CSN’s Conseil Central du Montréal Métropolitain.
They say negotiations have been at a stand still for a year.
“It’s not normal that after 50 negotiation sessions that nothing has changed,” Daigneault said. “We need mandates and we need respect.”
The CSN is part of the Common Front, which represents some 420,000 workers in education, health and social services in Quebec who voted at 95 per cent for strike action.
“When we fight for our working conditions it’s also fighting for public service of quality for everyone in this society.”
A first day of strike will take place on Nov. 6.
The FIQ – nurses union – will also be on strike Nov. 8 and 9. Essential services in healthcare will be maintained.
