SAQ workers could strike Wednesday and Thursday: union

Unless significant progress is made at the bargaining table – 5,000 SAQ employees will be on strike Wednesday and Thursday in Quebec.

This, according to the union representing the employees. Syndicat des employé-es de magasins et de bureaux (SEMB-SAQ-CSN) had obtained a strike mandate last month.

They say nearly 70 per cent of SAQ employees work part-time or on-call – and they never know how many hours they’ll be able to work in the next pay period – calling it “unacceptable.” The union claims that the hours could be consolidated into regular positions and are also asking for greater protection against job cuts – such as the one that led to the elimination of 64 jobs in various regions of Quebec.

“It’s unacceptable the Crown corporation should keep so many employees in a precarious situation, when it’s possible, as we’re demonstrating at the bargaining table, to consolidate all those hours into regular positions,” says SEMB-SAQ-CSN President Lisa Courtemanche.

SAQ employees also want faster access to group insurance. “Currently, even if people work full weeks, they have to wait seven years before they are entitled to group insurance. No wonder it’s so hard to retain the workforce!”

In addition to the addition of permanent positions, other issues remain unresolved at the bargaining table. In particular, the union would like to improve staff access to training, and increase the number of wine consultants and branch coordinators to strengthen customer service.

Staff would also like to be able to prepare Internet orders in-store. In this regard, the union criticizes management for stubbornly centralizing order preparation for the whole of Quebec at its Montreal distribution center, which is responsible for five-day delivery times and disappointing online sales results.