Quebec government engineers to launch indefinite strike on May 2

The 2,050 engineers working for the Quebec government announced they will launch a strike starting May 2.

Until then, they are continuing the evening, night and weekend strike they have already started, Marc-André Martin, president of the Professional Association of Government Engineers of Quebec (APIGQ), said in an interview Friday.

These engineers work in the ministries of Transportation—1,200 of them—the Environment, and Natural Resources. They issue permits and handle construction site planning.

The challenge

The president of the APIGQ maintains that Quebec does not truly offer government engineers the same “budget envelope” as that which it has granted to all government employees.

Treasury Board President Sonia LeBel assures that the government has indeed offered engineers salary increases of around 17.4 per cent over five years, as was granted to other government employees.

“A comprehensive settlement proposal, including the +17.4 per cent as agreed with 98 per cent of other public unions, was submitted on Jan. 8,” the minister said.

Martin counters that in addition to the 17.4 per cent pay increase, state employees received another amount, which he estimates to be equivalent to seven or eight per cent, for insurance, vacations, bonuses and other benefits – something that was not offered to the engineers.

He therefore reports that his members “feel that the government persists in giving us less than the others.”

“What we’re asking for is nothing more or less than the same as everyone else, no more, no less. We want access to the same envelopes,” insists the union leader.

After learning of the strike notice, the minister remained confident. “If we have managed to reach an agreement with 98 per cent of the unions in the public and parapublic sectors, an agreement with the engineers is entirely possible quickly,” she commented.

“However, the settlement with the engineers will be made in a fair manner with all other groups. The framework established in this round of negotiations will not be called into question,” she warned.

“We’re in no rush to sign a bad agreement. Yesterday, we had a meeting; people are behind us. We told them: listen, it’s not true that we’re going to leave money on the table; it’s not true that we’re going to sign at the expense of other groups,” Martin reported.

The strike mandate was supported by 87.9 per cent, with a participation rate of 85.5 per cent, he emphasizes.

The parties therefore have one month left to agree on the renewal of the collective agreement before the strike is extended. 

No further negotiation sessions were scheduled for Friday morning. But Martin said he was ready to negotiate at any time. “Our phones are open.”

In the event of an engineering strike, essential services are provided to ensure public health and safety. Martin said 350 engineers are assigned to this role.

–This report by La Presse Canadienne was translated by CityNews