Two months after an agreement reached with the government, which postponed legal proceedings, road controllers deplore the slowness of Quebec in confirming that they will now be armed. The union that represents them is calling for discussions to be accelerated, as the profession becomes “more and more dangerous”.
What there is to know
Quebec road traffic controllers are demanding to be armed in the face of the increase in dangerous events.
Pleadings on this subject were recently postponed, Quebec having dangled a possible agreement.
Since then, there has been radio silence from the government, deplores the controllers’ union.
“It’s quite irritating, what’s happening,” said the president of the Fraternity of Highway Control Constables of Quebec (FCCRQ), Jean-Claude Daignault, in an interview with The Press.
Last April, pleadings were to take place before the Administrative Labor Tribunal (TAT) in order to decide on the possibility of arming road traffic controllers, who deplore the fact that they are facing more violent events, often linked to organized crime, as part of their duties.
However, according to our information, these pleadings ultimately never took place, since the government requested a postponement of the case to the end of March, dangling the possibility of an amicable agreement so that the controllers are equipped with a service firearm.
“There was the possibility of a quick agreement. Initially, it seemed a very positive approach to us, but since then, things have stopped moving forward, we no longer have any contact. We asked for meetings, but it’s as if the government doesn’t want to talk about it too much,” says the union leader.
A contradictory message?
According to certain sources, members of the government have moved too quickly on this issue. Despite initially positive signals, Quebec would today be rather reluctant to move forward because of the contradictory message that it could send to arm more public service employees, at a time when the fight against Armed violence is in full swing in Montreal.
Many other issues should also be clarified before concluding an agreement, including the cost of arming all road traffic controllers, but also the need to expand their training program at the National School of police (ENP) to achieve this.
“It’s not sexy politically, I agree, but I have members who are afraid of not going home in the evening,” retorts on this subject the president of the FCCRQ, who has already mandated his lawyers to request hearings at the TAT as soon as possible. If the impasse is not resolved by then, new hearings are scheduled for September 9, 10 and 11.
For months now, the Brotherhood has been demanding that its members be armed. “We come into contact with criminal groups in our work, but we are not equipped for that. To tell you the truth, I have a lot of people who turn a blind eye to controls, because they want to come home at the end of the day. We are helpless in the face of that,” Mr. Daignault argued last February.
According to him, “no police officer in Quebec would do our job if he was not armed.” On average, road traffic controllers carry out between 80,000 and 100,000 interceptions per year, both day and night. Ultimately, it is the office of Prime Minister François Legault “which could allow us to move to the final stage,” says Mr. Daignault.
“Delicate file”
At the government, we remain very cautious on this issue for the moment, reiterating that this matter remains “judicialized”.
“This is a delicate and important matter. We know that this is a long-standing request, which must be analyzed carefully. Communication channels with road controllers are and will remain open. The matter is still before the courts, so we will limit our comments,” said the Prime Minister’s press secretary, Ewan Sauves.
For its part, the Société de l’assurance automobile du Québec (SAAQ), to which the road controllers report, indicated that it would not comment, “the process being still underway before the Administrative Labor Tribunal.”
The trucking industry will remain attentive to developments. “I let the competent authorities evaluate this approach with regard to a company which, I recognize, has evolved and perhaps represents more risks than before,” affirms the CEO of the company. Quebec Trucking Association, Marc Cadieux.
In February, The Press had reported that a routine interception for road inspectors had led to the discovery of two stolen vehicles, in Laval, which were heading towards the port of Montreal. In recent months, more than a dozen similar events have taken place with road traffic controllers, says Mr. Daignault, who recalls that weapons seizures are also made by its members.