Union members of the Société des alcools du Québec condemn the decision of the management of the state-owned company, which recently announced the elimination of 64 regular positions in the midst of collective bargaining.
SAQ union members' dissatisfaction is growing, particularly in connection with the announcement that opening hours will be reduced in several branches.
For several days, walls, windows and refrigerators in several branches have been covered with posters denouncing the announced cuts. They denounce the new vice president's salary and constant search for profit, despite a net result of $1.4 billion for his 2022-2023 fiscal year. However, the state-owned company reported a decline in net profit in the second quarter of 2023.
For several days, walls, windows and refrigerators in several branches have been covered with posters denouncing the announced cuts. They particularly mention the new vice president's salary and the constant search for profit. Courtesy photo
For Lisa Courtemanche, president of the SAQ Branch and Office Employees Union (SEMB-SAQ-CSN), the abolition of the sixty positions in the middle of the negotiations is nothing less than a provocation by management.
“Moreover, one of the stumbling blocks is precisely the protection of regular positions in all regions of Quebec,” she argues. 70% of the staff are already part-time employees. We will improve even further.”
The SAQ noted on Monday that these job cuts have nothing to do with ongoing negotiations and that 48 of these positions are currently vacant.
Ms Courtemanche added that part-time employees must have at least seven years of service and work at least 20 hours per week to be eligible for group insurance.
“[Il y a] several [employés] who will lose their trust because they will not succeed [remplir ces critères]“, she complains.
She states that the union requested a moratorium from management during negotiations. These announced abolitions do not bode well for the future.
“It’s certainly not a good element for negotiations,” says Ms. Courtemanche.
A new leadership position
The creation of a new position of vice president of strategic supply chain development within the SAQ management – awarded to Luc Bourdeau – is directly related to the elimination of these positions, the union believes.
“His job will be to manage an automated machine that creates orders. This also destroys jobs. While the government is asking companies to come here to create jobs, it accepts that the president of a state-owned company is abolishing jobs in Quebec,” laments Ms. Courtemanche.
A spokesman for the SAQ, Yann Langlais Plante, explained that the Montreal Automated Center (CAM) project is the SAQ's most important strategic project and requires special attention, which it would like to entrust to Mr. Bourdeau by creating a new position.
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