A pair of government-run liquor board distribution centres in Quebec City and Montreal were completely shut down Friday morning as paramedics staged protests outside.
An estimated 300 ambulance drivers and paramedics blocked all entry and exit points at both distribution centres.
They used bails of hay and ambulance trucks to block the main gates. No cargo vehicles from the main distribution points were able to enter or leave.
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The Confédération des syndicats nationaux (CSN), the labour federation that represents the employees, said the demonstration is targeting the Société des alcools du Québec (SAQ) because it aims to cause an “economic disturbance.”
Ambulance workers have been without a contract for the last two years, according to the CSN.
“We need to be seen because we have been two years without a contract and nothing has come of it,” Christine Paquin, a spokesperson for the paramedics, told Global News.
“It’s time to share this revenue equitably.”
The goal, according to the union, is to get back to the negotiating table to work out a deal. Working conditions and schedules are the main sticking points.
“We have been working through pandemic. There is a lot of over time. We are working on call 24/7 a day,” Paquin said. “It’s time that our conditions change.”
An estimated 300 ambulance workers and paramedics have blocked all entrances and exits of the SAQ distribution centres in both Quebec and Montreal, completely shutting down services.#CSN #saq pic.twitter.com/JNbIrX7PDc
— BraydenJaggerHaines (@BraydenJagger) February 25, 2022
In a statement, the SAQ said the demonstrations did disrupt their services but said it is confident the effects on their operations “will be minor.”
“We are in contact with the relevant authorities to ensure the safety of our employees and our properties,” the liquor board said. “We hope the situation will resolve quickly.”