SAQ employees vote in favour of six-day strike
Management working on plan to keep some branches open in event of walkout
Employees of the Société des alcools du Québec voted 91 per cent in favour of a six-day strike mandate.
The Syndicat des employés de magasins et de bureaux de la SAQ (SEMB-SAQ) announced the result of the vote shortly after midnight Monday.
“Strike days will be used at the right time, depending on how negotiations evolve,” the union said.
The participation rate was 54.6 per cent, according to the union.
The timing for when the strike days would be held was not specified.
The employees had threatened a strike on June 23, a busy day for the SAQ, but the union failed to compile the votes in time.
The collective agreement for SAQ employees expired March 31, 2017, but negotiations have been going on for 16 months.
“We do not want a labour dispute, but we also refuse to aggravate the situation,” said SEMBSAQ president Katia Lelièvre.
STALLING POINTS
Discussions stalled mainly over non-salary clauses affecting weekend schedules and work-life balance, and the precariousness of part-time employees.
According to the union, about 70 per cent of its members work part-time or occasionally and want to reduce their precariousness.
For its part, the SAQ argues that it needs more “flexibility in scheduling.”
SAQ spokesperson Mathieu Gaudreault said 74 per cent of sales at SAQ branches take place between Thursday and Sunday.
“What we would like is to have more employees present during these hours,” he said.
A three-day bargaining blitz was to be held from Monday to Wednesday in the presence of a mediator.
The SAQ says it is hopeful the two sides can reach an agreement. SAQ management is still working on a plan that would allow it to keep certain branches open in the event of a walkout.
If this is the case, details will be communicated to the public via the Crown corporation’s website.
The union said store employees will receive leaflets this week to pass out to customers, giving them information on the situation.