Latest news with #grève
CTV News
2 days ago
- Business
- CTV News
Negotiations continue on day 3 of residential construction strike
The Alliance syndicale de la construction and the Association des professionnels de la construction et de l'habitation du Québec (APCHQ) are set to continue talks Friday as the residential construction strike enters its third day. The APCHQ and the Alliance syndicale met on Thursday afternoon in the presence of a mediator assigned to the case. Although no agreement was reached on renewing the workers' collective agreement, which expired on April 30, the two parties agreed to continue discussions. Unlike in other sectors, pay rises negotiated in the construction industry are not retroactive to the expiry date of the previous collective agreement. Three other sectors of the construction industry — civil engineering/roads, institutional/commercial, and industrial — settled their agreements before they expired. The wage increases are eight per cent for 2025, five per cent for 2026, five per cent for 2027 and four per cent for 2028. The Alliance syndicale brings together all the construction unions, representing 200,000 workers. Around 60,000 of them work in residential construction. – This report by The Canadian Press was first published in French on May 30, 2024.
CTV News
3 days ago
- Business
- CTV News
Unions slam Quebec government for adopting law limiting strikes
Members of the FAE teachers union march to begin their strike, Thursday, Nov. 23, 2023 in Montreal. (Ryan Remiorz/The Canadian Press) Quebec's bill limiting the scope of strikes was adopted Thursday, and labour unions are calling it a 'dark day' for all workers. 'The premier and his labour minister have clearly failed to grasp the extent of the damage that this new legislation will cause,' said the heads of nine major unions in a news release. The Coalition Avenir Québec and the Liberals voted for the bill, while the Parti Québécois and Québec Solidaire voted against it. It passed with 94 votes. Labour Minister Jean Boulet said the bill intended to 'take into consideration the needs of the population' and said, 'whether it's a strike or lockout, it's important to find the right balance.' There were 759 work stoppages (90 per cent of which were strikes) in Quebec in 2024, the highest of all Canadian provinces. He said some strikes go on for 'very long periods of time' with 'many different damages.' Under the new law, arbitrators can determine the content of a collective agreement in order to end a labour dispute in certain cases. Workers must now maintain 'minimum services,' rather than 'essential services,' during a strike or lockout to ensure the 'well-being of the population' and avoid 'disproportionately affecting the social, economic or environmental security' of the population. The Alliance du personnel professionnel et technique de la santé et des services sociaux (APTS), Centrale des syndicats démocratiques (CSD), Confédération des syndicats nationaux (CSN), Centrale des syndicats du Québec (CSQ), Fédération Autonome de l'Enseignement (FAE), Fédération interprofessionnelle de la santé du Québec (FIQ), Fédération des travailleurs et travailleuses du Québec (FTQ), Syndicat de la fonction publique et parapublique du Québec (SFPQ) and Syndicat de professionnelles et professionnels du gouvernement du Québec (SPGQ) all came out against Bill 89. Minister turning 'everything upside down' The unions say there was already a 'fragile balance' between workers and employers. 'Trade unions cannot understand why Jean Boulet wanted to turn everything upside down, except to subject all employees to the whims of employers and to please employers and a cabinet with anti-union tendencies,' they said. 'The framework surrounding the exercise of the right to strike, which was limited overall, offered workers the opportunity to improve their conditions within clear guidelines. The minister seems to have found excuses to trample on their rights.' Québec Solidaire's Alexandre Leduc called the law 'discriminatory' and 'authoritarian,' saying it gives the Labour Minister too much power to break strikes. He sided with the unions, pointing out that there are already provisions protecting essential services when it comes to labour disputes that have proven successful. Boulet pushed back saying the decisions will be handed down by impartial and independent parties like the Labour Tribunal and arbitrators. Leduc maintained that strikes are preceded by months of negotiations, and 'it's not fun for anyone to go on strike' but it is one of the only tools to demand better working conditions and 'improve the quality of life for the middle class.' He also said employers often stall negotiations, but 'no one talks about that perspective.' Law could end up before the courts The unions say the impact of the bill will be felt even by non-unionized workers. 'The gains achieved through bargaining exert positive pressure on non-unionized sectors, forcing employers to adjust to remain competitive. The government is attacking the entire Quebec workforce by limiting workers' ability to defend and improve their working conditions,' they said. Pay equity, the establishment of the public child care network, the minimum wage, and parental leave are 'just some of the gains achieved through union mobilization,' they added. Interim Liberal leader Marc Tanguay agreed with Boulet on the importance of 'striking a balance' while respecting the fundamental right to strike. Unions can contest the law in court, he said. The unions believe the law would not hold up in court. Meanwhile, they say the Labour Minister is 'not open to discussion' to find a mutually satisfactory solution, and 'trust has been broken.'
National Post
4 days ago
- Business
- National Post
Quebec residential construction workers have walked off the job
Article content MONTREAL — Workers in Quebec's residential construction sector are now on strike. Article content Article content The workers walked off the job at midnight after last-minute talks failed to yield a deal. Article content The employer, the Association des professionnels de la construction et de l'habitation du Quebec, said it made a final offer on Tuesday that included an 18 per cent salary hike over four years. Article content Article content Article content
CBC
4 days ago
- Business
- CBC
Workers in residential construction sector now on unlimited strike
Workers in Quebec's residential construction began an unlimited strike at midnight after failing to reach a deal with a group that represents residential developers in the province. The two sides held talks on Tuesday, but failed to strike a deal to avoid the work stoppage. The strike affects projects across Quebec for single-family homes, townhouses and residential buildings with six floors or less, excluding the basement. Projects for buildings with at least seven floors are not affected by this strike. The same goes for renovation, modification or maintenance projects paid for by a property owner. The main sticking point in the negotiations is compensation, with the unions seeking salary increases of 22 per cent over four years for heavy construction and 24.3 per cent for light construction. The workers are part of an alliance made up of five unions: FTQ-Construction, the Syndicat québécois de la construction, the Conseil provincial du Québec des métiers de la construction (International), CSD-Construction and CSN-Construction. The developers are part of the Association des professionnels de la construction et de l'habitation du Québec (APCHQ). The unions represent 200,000 workers, but less than 20 per cent of them are in the residential construction sector, according to recent data from the province's construction commission. The union members who work in the commercial, industrial and institutional construction sectors — which make up the vast majority of construction projects in the province — already reached deals of their own in March. The salary increases in that deal totalled 22 per cent over four years, on par with what the workers in the residential sector are asking for. The alliance representing the five unions is expected to hold a news conference at 10 a.m. on Wednesday.
CTV News
5 days ago
- Business
- CTV News
Parties to meet as threat of residential construction strike looms in Quebec
Another meeting is scheduled for Tuesday afternoon between the Alliance syndicale de la construction and the Association des professionnels de la construction et de l'habitation du Québec (APCHQ), as an unlimited strike threatens the residential construction industry. Monday evening, the APCHQ announced that it had presented 'a new increased exploratory offer' to the Alliance syndicale and was awaiting a response, in the hope of breaking the deadlock. Tuesday morning, the Alliance indicated that the offer from the APCHQ was not in writing, and the situation has not changed. The strike call, slated to start at 12:01 a.m. on Wednesday, remains in effect. The Alliance notes that workers have already begun mobilizing, and it anticipates that a strike will be called unless the parties reach common ground at their meeting on Tuesday afternoon. The Alliance syndicale includes all the construction unions, including FTQ-Construction, the Syndicat québécois de la construction, the Conseil provincial du Québec des métiers de la construction (international), the CSD-Construction and the CSN-Construction. It represents a total of 200,000 workers. This report by The Canadian Press was first published in French on May 27, 2025.
