Workers at 22 Quebec cannabis stores stage two-hour surprise strike

Union members of the Quebec Cannabis Society walked out for two hours on Thursday, from 3 p.m. to 5 p.m.

The "surprise strike" affected 22 branches of the provincially run SQDC cannabis stores, said the Canadian Union of Public Employees (CUPE), which is affiliated with the FTQ, the union that represents the cannabis workers.

Salary is the main point of contention. According to the union, employees earn $17 an hour upon hiring, even though the employer is a Crown corporation. Meanwhile, Quebec's minimum wage will be $14.25 as of May 1.

The union also argues that the majority of employees don't have full-time positions or job security.

CUPE warns that this "surprise walkout" will not be the last. In February, its members gave themselves a mandate for pressure tactics that could go as far as an unlimited general strike, voting in favour of the idea with 91 per cent support.

CUPE represents approximately 300 SQDC employees in 26 branches in Quebec.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published in French on April 28, 2022.