SAQ office, technical, and professional workers extend strike amid stalled negotiations
Posted November 13, 2025 9:58 am.
Last Updated November 13, 2025 5:54 pm.
The strike by hundreds of SAQ employees is extending until Nov. 20, as negotiations between the union and employer remain at a standstill.
The strike involves workers represented by the Syndicat professionnel des travailleurs et travailleuses du SAQ (SPTP-SAQ–CSN), who say their behind-the-scenes roles are essential to the SAQ’s daily operations — from online services to inventory logistics and product quality.
“This work is invisible to the public, but indispensable to the SAQ’s operations,” said SPTP-SAQ–CSN president Steve D’Agostino in a press release. “We’ve lost thousands of dollars over the past three years, and it’s shocking that the SAQ isn’t addressing this.”
During a press briefing on Thursday, D’Agostino expressed disappointment at the lack of progress in negotiations. He highlighted concerns over purchasing power, noting their last salary increase was one per cent in April 2023, while the cost of living rose more than six per cent in 2022 and nearly four per cent in 2023.
“Today we choose to be in front of the five big SAQ depots, so these are of the 10 biggest stores, and so we wanted to show that our work starts to have an impact on stores,” said D’Agostino, noting that some products might start being out of stock. “That’s because its been one week we’re on strike, the more days we continue to be on strike, the more missing product there will be.”
SAQ employees began striking on Nov. 6, following a vote in which more than 99 per cent of union members approved a 15-day strike mandate, calling for salary increases and formal telework options in the next collective agreement.
“It’s not easy to get professionals on strike, so it really means that we need improvements,” said D’Agostino.
Union affiliate Kathrin Peter, the vice-president of the Fédération des professionnèles (FP-CSN), emphasized that the strike is the first in the union’s 51-year history and criticized the SAQ for what she said was choosing confrontation over dialogue.
For its part, the SAQ said last week that negotiations are continuing and that it aims to reach an agreement that satisfies employees and the organization. The SAQ also stated its contingency plan is active and stores remain open to welcome customers.
