Essential services to be provided at Maison Benoît Labre in event of strike

Quebec’s Administrative Labour Tribunal (TAT) is suspending the right to strike at Maison Benoît Labre until the union, affiliated with the CSN, complies with the Labour Code and provides essential services in the event of a strike.

In its decision, the TAT concluded “a strike by employees represented by the union may endanger public health or safety.”

It concluded that “in the absence of supervision and rapid intervention, crisis situations may arise: poisoning, overdoses, conflicts between residents, psychological distress, acts of violence, etc.

“The services offered by the employer are therefore intended to meet essential needs, both for its vulnerable clientele and for the general interest, by enabling better coexistence with the population of the neighborhood where the employer’s establishments are located.”

The decision therefore subjects Maison Benoît Labre to the provisions of the Labor Code, which requires them to maintain essential services in the event of a strike.

Maison Benoît Labre provides support services and safe drug use equipment, a rest area and meals for vulnerable people, as well as support for social coexistence.

–This report by La Presse Canadienne was translated by CityNews