Fishing activities at SÉPAQ disrupted by a strike starting May 15
Posted May 5, 2025 4:32 pm.
Fishing activities at the Société des établissements de plein air du Québec (SÉPAQ) are likely to be disrupted, as union members there have announced a three-day strike starting May 15.
The Syndicat de la fonction publique et parapublique du Québec (SFPQ)—a large union independent of the centralized unions—has 2,500 members at SÉPAQ. Approximately 650 of them, who work in the 13 wildlife reserves, will walk out for three days, starting May 15.
All SÉPAQ union members had given themselves a mandate to take heavy-duty pressure tactics, up to and including an unlimited general strike, with 88.8 per cent of them agreeing to this.
The dispute concerns wages, seniority in the event of recall, mobility, and guaranteed working hours, since these are primarily seasonal employees.
In an interview, SFPQ President Christian Daigle expressed hope that these three days of strike action will unblock negotiations.
“This is the first warning shot we’re sending with heavy-duty pressure tactics,” he said. “There have been other pressure tactics before, where we made our presence felt through hunting and fishing shows.”
“That didn’t unblock anything,” he added. “So, unfortunately, we have to go a step further. And now, there’s a possibility, a potential three-day strike, which will disrupt the opening of fishing in wildlife reserves.”
–This report by La Presse Canadienne was translated by CityNews
