SAQ employees to hold another one-day strike
Some 5,000 unionized employees of the Société des alcools du Québec (SAQ) are not expected to be at work on Monday as their union says negotiations continue to stall at the bargaining table.
The Syndicat des employés de magasins et de bureaux de la SAQ confirmed that its members are slated to hold their fifth strike day on Monday.
Negotiations have been underway for the last 21 months.
SAQ management did not respond in time for publication to indicate which branches will be closed or open.
During previous strikes, managers had maintained operations in some outlets, but not all.
According to the union, the employer has been asking workers to withdraw their demands since October and accept the proposals on the table, which it describes as “setbacks.”
The union says it believes that talks have reached an “impasse.”
While the normative clauses have been settled, the wage issue is still in dispute, according to the union, as is access to more permanent full-time positions and group insurance coverage.
The union points out that the SAQ offered its members a 16.5 per cent wage increase over six years, to which it countered with an offer of 20 per cent over five years.
The Syndicat des employés de magasins et de bureaux de la SAQ is affiliated with the Confédération des syndicats nationaux's (CSN) Fédération des employés de services publics (FEESP-CSN).
Its members' collective agreement expired on March 31, 2023.
Union members already walked off the job for two days in April, as well as on Oct. 17.
The following day, they called a mid-afternoon “surprise strike.”
The original mandate given by members to their union provides for up to 15 days of strike action.
-- This report by The Canadian Press was first published in French on Nov. 4, 2024.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
LIVE AT 11 EST Trudeau to announce temporary GST relief on select items heading into holidays
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau will announce a two-month GST relief on select items heading into holidays to address affordability issues, sources confirm to CTV News.
'Ding-dong-ditch' prank leads to kidnapping, assault charges for Que. couple
A Saint-Sauveur couple was back in court on Wednesday, accused of attacking a teenager over a prank.
Volcano on Iceland's Reykjanes Peninsula erupts for the 7th time in a year
A volcano in southwestern Iceland that has roared back to life after eight centuries of silence has erupted for the seventh time since December, sending molten lava flowing towards the Blue Lagoon spa, a major tourist attraction.
Bitcoin is at the doorstep of US$100,000 as post-election rally rolls on
Bitcoin topped US$98,000 for the first time Thursday, extending a streak of almost daily all-time highs since the U.S. presidential election. The cryptocurrency has rocketed more than 40 per cent in just two weeks.
REVIEW 'Gladiator II' review: Come see a man fight a monkey; stay for Denzel's devious villain
CTV film critic Richard Crouse says the follow-up to Best Picture Oscar winner 'Gladiator' is long on spectacle, but short on soul.
Parole board 'working' to have Bernardo victims' families attend hearing in-person
The Parole Board of Canada says it is now working to allow victims' families to attend Paul Bernardo's parole hearing and deliver their victim impact statements in person.
Police report reveals assault allegations against Hegseth, Trump's pick for defence secretary
A woman told police that she was sexually assaulted in 2017 by Pete Hegseth after he took her phone, blocked the door to a California hotel room and refused to let her leave, according to a detailed investigative report made public late Wednesday.
Top war-crimes court issues arrest warrants for Netanyahu and Hamas officials
The International Criminal Court issued arrest warrants on Thursday for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, his former defense minister and Hamas officials, accusing them of war crimes and crimes against humanity over their 13-month war in Gaza and the October 2023 attack on Israel respectively.
Sask. woman who refused to provide breath sample did not break the law, court finds
A Saskatchewan woman who refused to provide a breath sample after being stopped by police in Regina did not break the law – as the officer's request was deemed not lawful given the circumstances.