MONTREAL

Hema-Quebec nurses to hold half-day strike in Quebec City

Published Thursday, February 16, 2023 10:59AM EST Last Updated Thursday, February 16, 2023 11:12AM EST

A bag of blood is shown at a clinic Thursday, November 29, 2012 in Montreal. Hema Quebec, the provincial blood agency, said that as much as 70 per cent of the blood inventory stockpiled for transfusion had been placed temporarily aside, while tests are conducted. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Ryan Remiorz

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Nurses at Hema-Quebec in Quebec City will hold a half-day strike on Friday.

The 75-member Hema-Quebec nurses' union, affiliated with the CSN, will be on strike from 7 a.m. to 11 a.m.

Since this is the health sector, essential services will be maintained.

"The strike will affect the two GLOBULE centres in Quebec City. Mobile pick-ups will not be affected 'for the time being," said union president Vanessa Poirier on Thursday.

The strike will not affect the Montreal region, where nurses are instead unionized with the CSQ, although the two unions have formed an alliance for the current collective agreement negotiations.

The main point of contention is remuneration. The CSQ and CSN unions are demanding parity with other nurses in the public network.

Hema-Quebec management retorts that they have not always had parity with the public network and that its January offer took this into account by offering a lump sum to compensate.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published in French on Feb. 16, 2023.