SAQ Employees Strike Over Salary Dispute

Approximately 5,000 employees of the Société des alcools du Québec (SAQ) initiated a strike on Thursday, following a rejection of their employer’s salary proposal amidst ongoing negotiations.

The SAQ Store and Office Employees Union, associated with the CSN, confirmed their membership’s participation in the strike. A call was made via Facebook, urging members not to cross the picket lines.

The union is permitted a total of 15 strike days, with two having been utilized in April, making Thursday’s action the third under their mandate.

During the prior strike actions in April, the SAQ provided “limited access” to its branches.

The collective bargaining agreement for SAQ employees lapsed on March 31, 2023. The union reported that while the “normative” aspects of the negotiations were settled the previous week, they felt “cheated” by the salary proposals and financial conditions presented by the SAQ last Wednesday.

According to the union, the proposed financial framework would necessitate concessions on overtime pay and a reduction in employer contributions to health insurance, among other issues.

“I think that we’ve accomplished quite a bit of what we were aiming for, but it was very hard,” remarked SAQ union member Liam Belcourt. “I just feel like we’ve convinced them in exchange for certain things to accept what we were asking for, but I don’t think that we’re truly valued in their eyes at this point in time, not yet.”

Currently, employees must wait seven years to qualify for insurance coverage, with workers advocating for a reduction to five years and demanding dental care coverage.

“For two years, we have been told that, regarding each request that could have a financial impact, we would discuss it after having settled the normative clauses. However, here we are,” stated union president Lisa Courtemanche in a press release. “Except that the employer submitted their financial offer to us and made conditions where we had to accept all the setbacks they demanded, while withdrawing each of our requests. It just doesn’t make sense.”

The employer proposed a 16.5 percent salary increase over six years, but the union contended this offer is less than the 17.4 percent increase over five years provided to public sector employees.

The union’s executive committee, after reviewing the offer last Friday, urged members to brace for further mobilization efforts.

“Costco’s makes more money than we do. They get paid $2 more on the weekend. They get paid in the evenings. Just like in hospitals, you work on Sunday and you’re going to get $5 more. The SAQ’s have express stores that are open until 10 p.m. and nobody wants to work there. So, people modify their availability so that they’re not put on the schedule because it’s not interesting to work at 10 p.m. for the conditions. You can go work anywhere for about the same salary with more stability,” explained Belcourt.

Courtemanche and CSN Vice-President François Enault announced a press briefing would take place on Thursday morning at 11 a.m. in front of the Jean-Talon market branch in Montreal to discuss the situation.

“At the SAQ, nearly 70 percent of employees work part-time and on call,” said Enault in a press release. “It takes 12 years before you get a regular position. There is no company in Quebec whose business model relies so much on the precariousness of its staff. It is entirely legitimate to want to ensure a minimum of stable positions and to limit the use of part-time work.”

In reaction, the SAQ stated that a second negotiation meeting is slated for Friday and expressed hope for reaching an agreement. “We would like to stress that we have made good progress in recent weeks and that we have reached an agreement on the entire regulatory aspect,” stated the SAQ. “Since initiating these negotiations, our goal has been to reach a satisfactory agreement for both our employees and customers.”

Some SAQ branches remain operational today, with customers advised to confirm their status before visiting.

“Twenty years ago, when you were hired by the SAQ, you know, it was a job that was valued in Quebec. It was a job that many people wanted to have, and now it’s just another job at the grocery store. And there’s a really high turnover. We wanted to bring back that feeling of being valued in our work environment,” commented Belcourt.

-With files from La Presse Canadienne