Employees of SAQ Begin Strike Over Contract Negotiations

Employees of the Société des alcools du Québec (SAQ) affiliated with the Syndicat des employé-es de magasins et de bureaux de la SAQ, part of the Confédération des syndicats nationaux (CSN), have initiated a strike in response to stalled contract negotiations.

The strike is being carried out by 5000 members of the union and has led to picket lines and gatherings outside SAQ locations across the province, including in Montreal, Quebec City, Trois-Rivières, Gatineau, Rouyn-Noranda, Saguenay, and Sainte-Thérèse.

Lisa Courtemanche, president of the Syndicat des employé-es de magasins et de bureaux de la SAQ, remarked during an interview on ICI RDI that the progress made in negotiations was insufficient to halt the strike.

Despite over a year of negotiations, discussions have not yet touched upon salary issues, according to Jacques Farcy, CEO of SAQ.

Marie-Josée Senneville, a representative of the union, underscored the core concerns of job insecurity and access to benefits as central to the labor dispute.

The SAQ indicates having 5281 employees, with 59% being part-time employees.

During the strike, a contingency plan has been put into effect by SAQ management to keep several stores operational.

Yann Langlais-Plante, Deputy Director of External Communications at SAQ, indicated that approximately 35 to 40 SAQ locations will be open during the strike.

Both, the union and the SAQ are expressing willingness to continue negotiations in order to reach a collective agreement.