8 months into SQDC strike, negotiations remain at a standstill

A person walks into an SQDC store in Montreal, Saturday, January 15, 2022. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Graham Hughes

After eight months of striking at Quebec's cannabis retailer (SQDC), negotiations are at a standstill, and both parties are waiting to be called by the conciliator.

The CUPE 5454 union called a general strike on May 28.

In an interview, union president David Clément said he had yet to receive a new offer since that which his members rejected by 94 per cent on Dec. 11.

The parties met on Dec. 23 to discuss the reasons for the rejection.

"Since then and as of today, there has been no new offer and no negotiation meeting with the employer," said Clément.

SQDC management confirms this.

"For the moment, we have not been summoned by the conciliator appointed by the Ministry of Labour. However, we still remain open to continuing discussions with CUPE representatives in order to reach a negotiated agreement to the satisfaction of the parties involved."

The SQDC now has 93 branches, about half of which have a union. The strike affects 24 of the 26 branches whose workers are unionized with CUPE.

WAGES IN DISPUTE

Wages are the main issue in dispute; the standard clauses have been settled.

CUPE is demanding at least $20 per hour for its members. The union argues the SQDC is a Crown corporation, like the SAQ, and not a retail business like any other.

The SQDC, for its part, points out that it has managed to renew the collective agreement with the other union organization present in a smaller number of its branches, namely the Fédération des employés de services publics, affiliated with the CSN.

"In fact, all of the Corporation's consultants, with the exception of those who work in branches represented by CUPE, will benefit from an hourly rate of $19.01/hour at entry, effective July 3, 2022," management said.

The entry-level wage in the CUPE collective agreement is $17.12 per hour.

"It is certain that from the beginning, what we want is a comparable to other Crown corporations. And if we go and check different collective agreements this year, well there is no wage below $20 an hour. So it's definitely the big symbolic minimum," said Clément.

CUPE members, however, rejected the offer accepted by the CSN federation, hence the difference in pay.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published in French on Jan. 27, 2023.