SAQ employees voted 89% in favor of a 15-day strike mandate, their union announced on Saturday.
These strike days, which can be used in the coming months, will put pressure on the employer, according to the Union of Store and Office Employees of the SAQ (SEMB-SAQ-CSN).
The president of the union deplores the slowness of the negotiations, adding that the management of the state company “must take note of the dissatisfaction of its employees”.
Lisa Courtemanche is calling for salary increases for employees, better working conditions and more permanent positions.
“70% of SAQ employees are part-time, who have no idea of their schedule two weeks in advance and who never know if they will have a full week of work. Our world is tired of living in precariousness, it’s insane that the SAQ is run this way,” she said in a press release.
The union is also asking the employer to provide better access to staff training. In addition, he wants to improve customer service by increasing the number of wine advisors and branch coordinators.
Note also that the disagreements between the union and the management side also affect the preparation of online orders and the possible closure of regional branches to replace them with private agency permits.
“In addition to constituting a decline in jobs, such a measure would undermine the offer to customers in the region,” it was mentioned.
Management reacts
SAQ management quickly reacted to the union’s announcement and reiterated the importance of “reaching an agreement that is satisfactory for both the SAQ and its employees.”
“In the event of a one-day strike, our teams are ready to deploy a plan to ensure continuity of service,” underlined SAQ management in a message sent to the media.