Latest news with #grève
CTV News
a day ago
- Business
- CTV News
Quebec provincial parks, employees reach agreement in principle
Quebec's provincial parks management says it has reached an agreement with its workers, lifting a strike notice that was set to begin on Friday. 'All establishments in the network will remain open for the long weekend of the national holiday and reservations will be honoured,' the Société des établissements de plein air du Québec (SEPAQ) wrote on its website. The main dispute between the two centred around wages, according to the Syndicat de la fonction publique et parapublique du Québec (SFPQ). President Christian Daigle had previously pointed out that many workers earn about $17 per hour, and the vast majority are seasonal employees. The union had asked for a 17.4 per cent wage increase over five years, the same as all government employees.
CTV News
3 days ago
- Business
- CTV News
Quebec residential construction strike comes to an end
A construction worker attaches a basket on a crane as they work on the rooftop of a residential apartment building in Levis, Que. on Tuesday, May 20, 2025. Residential construction workers were on strike. (Jacques Boissinot/The Canadian Press) The unions representing Quebec's residential construction workers have reached a tentative agreement with the Association des professionnels de la construction et de l'habitation du Québec (APCHQ), ending the strike. Workers had been on strike since May 28. The APCHQ said in a news release that all pressure tactics will stop at midnight. The five unions under the Alliance syndicale de la construction and the APCHQ will ask their members to vote on the agreement in the next two weeks. If it is rejected, the strike could resume. The agreement includes an eight per cent salary increase from the moment it is signed and arbitration for the following three years. It also includes increased travel expenses, a higher allowance for safety equipment, the creation of a committee to improve staff attraction and retention, and relaxed rules for employees with fewer than 1,500 hours under their belt. 'The large mobilization, the commitment of the members and the openness of the negotiating committee made it possible to finally reach a negotiated agreement,' said Alexandre Ricard, spokesperson for the union alliance. Of Quebec's four construction sectors (civil engineering, industrial, residential, and commercial) the residential sector was the only one that had not managed to renew its collective agreement, which expired April 30. The APCHQ said it took into consideration the sector's specific realities and households' ability to pay. 'With the tentative agreement, a degree of predictability will be in place, allowing employers and workers alike to contribute to the construction of thousands of homes that Quebec needs,' it said in a news release.
CTV News
5 days ago
- Business
- CTV News
Quebec construction strike: L'Alliance syndicale files complaint for bad faith bargaining
Work stoppage is seen on a residential construction site in the Montreal suburb of Pointe-Claire, Que., on Wednesday, May 28, 2025. (Christinne Muschi/The Canadian Press) L'Alliance syndicale de la construction says it is filing a complaint, alleging bad faith bargaining by the Association des professionnels de la construction et de l'habitation du Québec (APCHQ). In its complaint alleging a breach of the obligation to negotiate in good faith, the Alliance syndicale is accusing the APCHQ of conducting 'sham negotiations' without the real intention of reaching an agreement in principle for its collective agreement. The union also alleges interference and obstruction of union activities as contractors have allegedly offered workers wages higher than those provided for in the collective agreement with the aim, according to the union, of ending the strike. It will be up to the Administrative Labour Tribunal to decide on the matter after hearing the parties. Quebec's residential construction strike began on May 28. Approximately 60,000 of the 200,000 members of the Alliance syndicale work in residential construction. However, some construction sites remain active, with employees continuing to work despite the strike. Three other sectors of the construction industry renewed their respective collective agreements before the April 30 deadline: civil engineering/roads, industrial and commercial/institutional. – This report by The Canadian Press was first published in French on June 16, 2024.
CTV News
06-06-2025
- Business
- CTV News
Five more days of strikes planned at SÉPAQ between June 20 and 24
The Syndicat de la fonction publique et parapublique du Québec (SFPQ) has announced five more strike days later this month at several sites operated by the Société des établissements de plein air du Québec (SÉPAQ). The strike will take place from June 20 to 24, the union said Friday. While wildlife reserves were affected during previous strike days in mid-May, this time will be different: most SÉPAQ establishments will be impacted. 'All bargaining units will be affected, except for the wildlife reserves and one lodge. So that means campgrounds, parks, the Montmorency Manor, the Chic-Chocs mountain lodge, and all tourist centres will be impacted,' said SFPQ president Christian Daigle. The dispute centres mainly on wages. Daigle said many workers earn about $17 an hour and noted that the vast majority are seasonal employees. The union is calling for a 17.4 per cent wage increase over five years—the same deal that was granted to all government employees. 'This has a major impact on the people we represent. When you only work four or five months a year, missing five days of work is a serious financial hit. So it's not something they do lightly—but people are tired of being taken advantage of and not being offered a fair financial agreement by their employer and, especially, by the Quebec government,' Daigle said. SÉPAQ responds 'The union has the right to strike and is free to choose its timing,' said Simon Boivin, SÉPAQ's media relations officer. He said SÉPAQ submitted 'a third monetary offer' last Tuesday and remains open to negotiating daily to preserve the long weekend for Quebecers. The strike days coincide with Quebec's Fête nationale holiday. 'We want to improve employees' wages with a competitive offer for the tourism industry—one that takes into account the pension plan and other benefits. We're aiming for a balanced agreement that satisfies employees, respects the organization's ability to pay, and doesn't shift extra costs onto visitors. It's worth remembering that 85 per cent of SÉPAQ's revenue comes from its own activities and customer services,' Boivin added. This report by The Canadian Press was first published in French on June 6, 2025.
CTV News
04-06-2025
- Business
- CTV News
Quebec residential construction workers striking for ‘equal pay for equal work'
A construction worker attaches a basket on a crane as they work on the rooftop of a residential apartment building in Levis, Que. on Tuesday, May 20, 2025. Residential construction workers are on strike. (Jacques Boissinot/The Canadian Press) Nearly 1,000 workers from the Alliance syndicale de la construction demonstrated in front of the Association des professionnels de la construction et de l'habitation du Québec (APCHQ) offices to mark the first week of strikes in the residential sector Wednesday. The event was peaceful, with the slogan 'equal pay for equal work' illustrating their main demand: that the 60,000 residential construction workers receive the same wage increases as construction workers in other sectors, who have all already settled. The workers made themselves heard with trumpets, horns, percussion and music blaring from loudspeakers. Some of the signs had humorous tones, with slogans like 'if you don't want to pay me, don't make me saw' in French ('si tu veux pas me payer, fais-mois pas scier'). Many workers arrived from the regions by chartered bus; streets had to be closed and bus stops moved due to the size of the protest. After a week on strike, the workers did not seem discouraged. They gave a standing ovation to the spokesperson for the union alliance, Alexandre Ricard, president of FTQ-Construction. 'It's not true that we're going to be blamed for the increase in housing prices in recent years. There are several factors that make housing expensive today. We are just one factor. We're not the ones who caused these prices to rise,' said Ricard. 'I see lots of contractors attracting (residential) workers by offering them commercial conditions—proof that our demands are fair and reasonable," he told the protesters. It should be noted that, unlike in other sectors of the economy, construction workers do not receive a retroactive wage increase on the expiry date of the previous collective agreement when it is not renewed. They, therefore, lose money. Their agreement expired on April 30. APCHQ and Minister Boulet The APCHQ commented on the demonstration. 'As the critical date of July 1 approaches, the Association des professionnels de la construction et de l'habitation du Québec is growing impatient with the union alliance's inaction and hopes that the current negotiations will quickly lead to an agreement,' it said. Ricard responded in turn that, 'Yes, there are discussions at the table. But we need to move forward.' 'It makes no sense to drag this out, because we don't have the right to retroactivity. In the meantime, we are losing money. In the meantime, we also have no anti-strike-breaker law, which is totally unreasonable and also causes friction,' he said. The anti-strike-breaker provisions of the Labour Code do not apply to the construction industry. When questioned in Quebec City, Labour Minister Jean Boulet reiterated his offer to resort to arbitration. Under this process, an arbitrator, who is a neutral third party, determines the content of the collective agreement, thereby ending the labour dispute. However, both parties must agree to this. The APCHQ has said it is willing to accept, but not the Alliance syndicale, which wants to negotiate its own working conditions. Minister Boulet himself pointed out that several construction sites were still operating despite the strike. 'Workers can continue to work. Workers are at work,' he said. He noted that there had been 'incidents here and there where police intervention was required,' but the situation has calmed down. This report by The Canadian Press was first published in French June 4, 2025. Lia Lévesque, The Canadian Press
