Some 200 workers at the Natrel milk plant in Quebec City have just given themselves a strike mandate.
These workers, members of a union from the Central of Democratic Trade Unions (CSD), voted 96% in favor of a pressure action mandate that could go as far as an indefinite general strike, to be called at the appropriate time.
The union members have not yet resorted to any means of pressure. The parties always negotiate; another meeting is scheduled for September 14.
The CSD union reports that its members are keen on wage increases that allow them to cope with inflation. “We want to keep our purchasing power,” said Christian Voyer, union adviser to the conflict management at the CSD, in an interview on Wednesday. He concedes that at present, “salaries are still good”.
The parties have not even addressed monetary issues yet, he added.
He reports that the management has also made demands, in particular two that pose problems for union members: the introduction of part-time positions and a clause that would allow mobility between unionized team leader positions and those of managers.
Mr. Voyer points out that there has not been a strike at this plant for more than 30 years, although negotiations to renew the collective agreement have often been long.
Natrel is one of the brands of Agropur, where a strike took place earlier this summer at the Granby plant. The strike caused a lot of talk when it resulted in the waste of milk that could not be processed in time.
Questioned on this subject, Mr. Voyer stated that “the employer is informed” of the strike mandate that the union members have just adopted and that it is then up to him to act accordingly. “It’s not up to us to manage the milk supply. »
“We don’t want to go on strike. We hope for a satisfactory conclusion for both parties,” concluded the union adviser.
Direction: a fair deal
Asked to comment, Natrel management indicated that it was “not unusual for a union to obtain a strike mandate during collective bargaining”.
“We want discussions to continue to reach a fair and equitable agreement for plant employees, while allowing the cooperative to remain strong and competitive,” management said.