Premiums at the Société des alcools du Québec | Missed targets and dismissed union members

Bonuses will be lower for executives and non-unionized employees of the Société des alcools du Québec (SAQ), who did not achieve all of their objectives last year. In addition, fewer checks will now be distributed, since union members are no longer eligible for this kitty.

Julien Arsenault
The Press

Taking these elements into account, the amount distributed to executives and non-unionized staff reached 6.7 million last year, down 30% compared to 2020-2021. The data was provided by the Crown Corporation under the Act respecting access to documents held by public bodies and the protection of personal information.

The approximately 900 members of the Syndicat des Travailleurs de la Société des alcools du Québec (STTSAQ) – affiliated with the Canadian Union of Public Employees (CUPE) – were the last eligible for the bonuses. They gave up this benefit in exchange for what were described as “advances” during the last renewal of their collective agreement.

The union represents warehouse and delivery workers – who walked off the job last fall before accepting the tentative agreement reached with the employer – as well as tradespeople such as janitors and cooks, says its representative .

What CUPE says it got for waiving annual bonuses: “improved working conditions,” says Gratton.

“The starting salary has gone to almost $23,” he explains. Insurance coverage is better. We have also changed some disparities in treatment between newcomers and those with more seniority. »

This agreement is to the “satisfaction of both parties,” says the SAQ.

The STTSAQ was the last union whose members were eligible for annual bonuses at the SAQ. Since 2020, the Technical and Professional Staff Union has no longer benefited from this mechanism.

Director General of the Institute for the Governance of Private and Public Organizations, François Dauphin believes that this is a more “logical” approach to remuneration.

“We are getting closer to a traditional business logic,” underlines the expert. Bonuses become a disguised component of wages for union members. As well consolidate them in the remuneration. »

Less money

At the end of a year marked in particular by price increases, the SAQ generated sales of $3.8 billion, up 7.4%, while its net profits were $1.4 billion, which an increase of approximately 11%.

However, executives will see the amount of bonuses reduced.

“The overall amount is less important because certain targets, relating to net expenses and the reduction in the number of work accidents with loss of time, have not been achieved,” said a spokesperson for the SAQ, Clemence Beaulieu Gendron.

The objective was to reduce the number of lost-time accidents by 7%. This indicator instead showed an increase of 3.9% in 2021-2022. As for the reduction in net expenses, it was 15.2%, while the target had been set at 15.6%.

President and CEO of the SAQ, Catherine Dagenais, who was entitled to a total compensation of $530,000, will receive a bonus of $65,000. The five main executives of the SAQ will share approximately $320,000 in bonuses.

In a parliamentary committee last May, the head of the state-owned company had suggested that the bonuses were probably going to be around 9 million for the financial year 2021-2022. The calculations were not finished at this time.

Bonuses were due June 23.