Five thousand SAQ workers are officially hitting the picket line as union negotiations take a turn for the worse.
At the stroke of midnight, the union representing Quebec’s liquor corporation store clerks launched a two-day strike starting Wednesday.
The union, in a statement on Facebook, said the move comes after a lack of progress at the bargaining table.
This is the first of an allowed 15 strike day mandate.
The strike could continue into Thursday if the two sides do not find common ground.
The union is calling for an increase in permanent staffing positions and better access to insurance.
Nearly 70 per cent of SAQ employees are part-time or on call. Workers are calling for a more consistent schedule.
The question of salaries has not yet been addressed, reported the union, which is part of the Federation of Public Service Employees, affiliated with the CSN.
For its part, SAQ management indicated earlier this week that a business continuity plan would be put in place in the event of a strike, in order to offer its customers limited access to its branch network.
Visiting the National Assembly on Tuesday, during the study of the appropriations of the Ministry of Finance, the president and CEO of the SAQ Jacques Farcy, said he was confident of arriving at an agreement with union members.
“The negotiations are very active, there is real progress at the table, so that makes us confident about reaching an agreement,” said Farcy.
While the majority of branches will be affected by the labour conflict a limited number of stores will remain open.
With files from the Canadian Press.