Some 130 workers at the Quincaillerie Richelieu warehouse in Montreal have launched an indefinite general strike.
These workers are assigned to preparing orders; So these are order takers, warehouse clerks, drivers and others. They are members of a local section of the Teamsters union, which is affiliated with the Quebec Federation of Workers (FTQ).
“The strike affects only one of our 116 North American distribution centers – 53 of which are in Canada – and a small portion of our 3,000 employees,” said the employer.
The collective agreement expired at the end of December 2023 and had a duration of five years.
Negotiations have not ended, but no other meeting date is planned for the moment between the parties. The Teamsters union says it is available at any time to resume negotiations.
Conciliation has been initiated in an attempt to bring the parties closer together. “As the conciliation process involving the union representing our employees is still ongoing, we will not comment on the status of the talks while they continue. We remain optimistic about the possibility of concluding a mutually beneficial agreement in the near future,” said Quincallerie Richelieu.
Salary is the main point in dispute.
We know that inflation has hit very hard in recent years, and our members’ employment contract, which ended in December, dates from five years ago. What our members are asking for here is only to be able to preserve their purchasing power, which has been severely tested.
François Laporte, president of Teamsters Canada
The union reports that the employer’s offer provides for increases of 2% to 3% per year, which it considers “insignificant”.
The employer, for his part, claims to have adapted to the situation. “We have put contingency plans in place to ensure business continuity and supply our customers – retailers and manufacturers. »
Richelieu is an importer, manufacturer and distributor of specialized hardware and complementary products. Its products are intended for manufacturers of kitchen and bathroom cabinets, storage and wardrobes, residential and office furniture, doors and windows, residential and commercial cabinetmakers as well as hardware retailers including large renovation areas. Richelieu says it has more than 120,000 active customers who are served by 113 centers in North America, including 50 distribution centers in Canada and 60 in the United States.