Government engineers’ union files obstruction complaint against Quebec
Posted March 25, 2025 1:47 pm.
The union that represents 2,050 engineers within the Quebec government has just filed a complaint against the province for obstruction of union activities and bad faith negotiations.
The Professional Association of Government Engineers (APIGQ) has been engaged in negotiations with Quebec for two years to renew its collective agreement. Its members are currently on strike during evenings, nights, and weekends.
The dispute between the two parties concerns teleworking and the reorganization of the engineers’ offices.
It was in the context of the redesign of the engineers’ offices that this complaint was filed with the Administrative Labour Tribunal. The APIGQ argues that they need a space that allows them to concentrate and maintain their attention on their tasks.
In its complaint, the APIGQ refers in particular to the formation of a “barometer committee” on the reorganization of engineers’ offices, on which engineers who were “unilaterally designated” by Quebec.
The APIGQ therefore accuses the Quebec government of having conducted “a facade negotiation”, by itself designating the engineers who could sit on this committee, ignoring its power to represent its members.
The engineers’ union is also seeking moral and punitive damages, which have yet to be determined.
–This report by La Presse Canadienne was translated by CityNews
