(Montreal) The Brotherhood of Quebec Road Control Constables (FCCRQ) and the government reached an agreement in principle on Tuesday evening.
Posted yesterday at 11:55 p.m.
The approximately 300 highway controllers represented by the FCCRQ, affiliated with the Public Service Alliance of Canada (PSAC), had been without a collective agreement since 1er April 2020.
According to the government, the agreement will make it possible to “improve the working conditions and remuneration of highway controllers, but also to increase services to the population through measures aimed at improving the safety of users on the road.”
Notable gains have been made in terms of work schedules and substantial salary increases have been obtained, the FCCRQ-PSAC said in a press release.
“The negotiations were extremely difficult. Highway controllers are now mobilized more than ever and it is thanks to this mobilization that we have been able to make very significant gains,” underlines Natalie Rainville, union representative for PSAC-Québec.
The details of the agreement remain confidential until it is ratified by the members.
“I would like to thank the negotiating teams who made it possible to reach this agreement in principle, but also to underline the work of the highway controllers who help make our roads safe,” said the President of the Conseil du trésor, Sonia LeBel. , in a press release.
Highway controllers indicate that they have other battles to fight, beyond the collective agreement.
“Traffic controllers must be respected as agents of the peace. They have all the search and inspection powers to effectively contribute to making our streets safer. That’s what they want. All that’s missing is the mandate and the tools to do their part. And these demands will remain a priority for the union,” reiterates Yvon Barrière, regional executive vice-president of PSAC-Québec.
Indeed, last November, the traffic controllers returned to the charge with their request to be armed, for their protection and that of the public.
Their union, the FCCRQ, also wanted the highway controllers to come under the authority of the Ministry of Public Security rather than that of the Société de l’assurance automobile du Québec.