Justice Minister Simon Jolin-Barrette’s speech was interrupted by a bang from legal aid lawyers Thursday morning during the back-to-school rally at the Montreal courthouse.
Posted at 12:14 p.m.
“Stand up for parity! “, launched a woman, when the minister spoke in front of hundreds of lawyers, dozens of judges and the chief justices of all the courts. A hundred striking legal aid lawyers remained standing during the minister’s ten-minute speech.
“I was just going to greet you, members of legal aid, to emphasize that you are doing important work throughout Quebec. There are currently negotiations. The Treasury Board is at the negotiating table with you. I am convinced that we will find common ground, ”continued Minister Jolin-Barrette, dressed in his toga for the occasion.
PHOTO DOMINICK GRAVEL, LA PRESSE ARCHIVES
Simon Jolin Barrette
“Half of the permanent legal aid lawyers approved the agreement in principle,” recalled the Minister in an interview with The Press after the event. “I’m hopeful that we will be able to find common ground. »
Negotiations have been bogged down for months between the Legault government and legal aid lawyers represented by the CSN. They are demanding pay parity with Crown prosecutors. Their collective agreement expired two years ago.
“The start of the new legal season coincides with the acceleration of the pace of cases for permanent legal aid lawyers and the new challenges that are added each year. However, this same government refuses pay parity with the Crown when it was reaffirmed during the last negotiation, barely three years ago, “said in a press release the president of the Union of Aid Lawyers. Montreal and Laval-CSN legal counsel, Justine Lambert-Boulianne.