The workers of SOS violence conjugale were on strike on Saturday to demand the progress of negotiations for their collective agreement – which expired for two years – and the end of a “toxic work climate”.
The hotline was still open during the strike, although with reduced staff. The chat service was temporarily closed. Nine other strike days have been voted on at the general meeting, but the dates have not yet been determined.
The workers are part of the Union of Community Organizations Staff, affiliated with the Centrale des unions du Québec (SPOC-CSQ).
Union delegate Jesse Rochon-Dupras pointed out in a telephone interview that half a dozen employees resigned during the past year. At the moment, they are about twenty employees in all.
“The girls don’t feel listened to by management, don’t feel supported,” said Ms. Rochon-Dupras. It will not stop there, the exodus of workers. »
She claimed that the union had “repeatedly requested an external work climate assessment”, without success.
Allegations of an unhealthy work climate had already been revealed last April by the Journal de Québec, which had discovered that the CSQ had sent a letter to the Minister responsible for the Status of Women, Isabelle Charest, and to the Minister of Justice, Simon Jolin-Barrette to inform them of the situation.
The management of the organization did not call back The Canadian Press. In a press release dating from April, it indicates that “after analysis, six months ago, SOS concluded that the only three allegations detailed in this letter did not constitute violence or harassment”.
As for the collective agreement, which has been in negotiation since November 2020, “there were a lot of meetings that were canceled (by the employer) really at the last minute. […] delays, lack of response by email, argued union delegate Josianne Dubé in a telephone interview. The process is super slow. She also said management changed their demands from one meeting to the next.
The steps are currently being taken with the intervention of a conciliator.
In its April press release, the employer says it wants “a constructive dialogue and wishes to continue negotiations with the union in order to soon conclude an agreement satisfactory to all, centered on the organization’s values of respect”.