Government engineers strike: no negotiations; road builders worried

There is a complete impasse between Quebec and the union representing 2,100 government engineers, who began their unlimited strike on May 2 and no negotiation meetings are even scheduled for this week.

“When the engineers are truly ready to negotiate, we will be ready to conclude the agreement,” commented Quebec Treasury Board President Sonia LeBel on X.

The Professional Association of Government Engineers of Quebec (APIGQ) and the Treasury Board do not even agree on the content of the government’s offer.

Minister LeBel maintains that she made the same salary and sectoral offer to the APIGQ as to other government employees. “I guarantee that engineers have access to the same parameters, the same sectoral envelope, and the same conditions as everyone else. No more, no less.”

But in an interview Monday, APIGQ President Marc-André Martin refuted these statements, stating that he had checked with other public sector unions about what they had obtained during the last negotiations, and that what was being offered to engineers today was lower.

The salary offers of 17.4 per cent over five years are indeed the same. It’s the sectoral envelope, therefore reserved for the working conditions specific to engineers, that differs, he maintained. This envelope includes insurance, office layout, and the salary structure, he explained.

“These are the kinds of things that are sectoral issues. We say: let them start by putting in the money, and then we’ll determine where it goes. But for now, there’s no money,” exclaimed Martin.

Negotiations are also strained on another front, as both parties have filed a complaint against each other for bad faith bargaining before the Administrative Labour Tribunal.

Road builders worried

Meanwhile, the Association of Road Builders and Major Works of Quebec (ACRGTQ) deplored the launch of the indefinite strike by government engineers. They are responsible for issuing calls for tenders, obtaining the necessary permits, and planning government civil engineering projects.

“During the last dispute in 2022, more than a third of the Ministry of Transport and Sustainable Mobility’s construction sites were delayed. Contractors were therefore forced to claim significant sums from the government (mobilization and demobilization costs), while juggling labour management and rising construction costs. “In the midst of an economic crisis, with the threat of a recession caused by American policies, this situation cannot be repeated,” criticized the employers’ association for the civil engineering and roadworks sector in a press release.

“Any delay in issuing calls for tenders at the start of the construction season will lead to significant delays in project execution and will hold employers and workers in the civil engineering and roadworks sector hostage, to the detriment of Quebec citizens who have the right to expect a road network in good and safe condition,” added the ACRGTQ.

–This report by La Presse Canadienne was translated by CityNews