Hydro-Québec network grid employees must provide essential services during overtime strike: tribunal
Hydro-Québec workers who announced an overtime strike starting Monday will still be required to provide essential services.
Quebec's Administrative Labour Tribunal issued a decision Friday ratifying an agreement between the union and Hydro-Québec management.
The network employees' union, with 206 members, announced an overtime strike from June 16 at 12:01 a.m. to June 19 at 11:59 p.m. It hopes to increase pressure on the employer during negotiations to renew its collective agreement.
These employees include planning agents, operations agents and dispatchers who work to monitor the electricity grid. They direct operators to perform various manoeuvres and manage the operation of the entire grid.
The tribunal ruled that the essential services provided for in the agreement between the two parties 'are sufficient to ensure that public health or safety is not endangered during the strike.'
Under this agreement, these employees will not perform any work outside the working hours stipulated in the collective agreement, except under certain conditions.
The union undertakes to provide the necessary qualified personnel, when required, in certain situations, such as when a Service Restoration Emergency Plan is triggered or during analysis requiring the use of the network simulator.
Similarly, the union must provide qualified personnel 'when the dispatcher requests real-time support from a network programming and operations agent and the request is approved by the manager,' the tribunal writes.
Also, generally speaking, the agreement stipulates that 'when an exceptional and urgent situation arises that is unforeseen and that threatens the health and safety of the population, the union undertakes to provide, upon request and as needed, the necessary and capable personnel to handle the situation.'
The collective agreement of the Syndicat des employés de réseau d'Hydro-Québec expired on Dec. 31, 2024.
There are no fewer than 10 unions at Hydro-Québec, several of which are currently negotiating the renewal of their collective agreements. The public utility has 23,280 employees.
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