SAQ workers vote for 15-day limited strike mandate

A majority of members of the Syndicat des employés de magasins et de bureaux de la Société des alcools du Québec (SEMB-SAQ), affiliated with the CSN, voted to hold a 15-day strike to be held when deemed appropriate, “whether it is consecutive or not.”

It was announced by the on Saturday morning, specifying that more than half (89 per cent) of the 5,000 affected SAQ employees voted in favour of a strike mandate during a series of general meetings held throughout the week, throughout Quebec.

The SEMB-SAQ say negotiations with their employer have not progressed for a year.

At issue are job insecurity and salaries, according to the union. The creation of permanent positions and working hours are the main points in dispute, the union says.

“Seventy per cent of SAQ employees are part-time, who have no idea of their schedule two weeks in advance and who never know if they will have a full week of work,” said union president Lisa Courtemanche.

“Of the 70 per cent of my colleagues who are part-time, there are several who work the schedule of a regular employee every week for years and years. You can have this schedule for 10 years, but not have the (social) benefits of a regular job or any insurance coverage.”

Others, according to Courtemanche, never know if they will have a full week of work.

Increasing the number of permanent positions is therefore a major issue, she says.

Among other demands: training and the desire to increase the number of wine advisors and branch coordinators.

On the employer’s side, “the SAQ takes note of the strike mandate.”

In a statement sent by email, it indicated that “negotiations with the union are continuing with the same objective: reaching an agreement that is satisfactory for both the SAQ and its employees.”

The employer specifies that it will try to ensure continuity of service.

“If ever a strike day is announced by the union, we will then invite our customers to consult saq.com or our mobile application to find out which branches will open their doors to customers, if applicable. This information will be updated as the situation evolves in order to effectively guide our customers,” the employer said in a statement.

This report by La Presse Canadienne was translated by CityNews