And 800 or so union employees who work in the warehouses of the Security Council announced, on Tuesday evening, the suspension of their strike and their return to work until next Monday.
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The Canadian Federation of Public Employees has made it clear that it wants to give talks at the negotiating table a chance.
“We don’t want to take SAQ clients hostage, and since we are finally seeing progress at the negotiating table, we agree to suspend the strike for a few days in order to give talks one last chance,” the union counselor said. Michael Gratton through a press release.
In exchange for this armistice, the Chechens undertook to provide the union with the locations of all its warehouses, so as to prevent replacement workers from being called up to replace union members.
The warehouse workers’ strike, which began on Monday, is already taking its toll in Quebec, while the supply of bottles to SAQ branches has been halted, but also to restaurants, bars, grocery stores and stores. Indeed, queues could be seen in front of the branches on Tuesday, while some shelves were bare.
The state-owned company also warned of the potential for product shortages, an unenviable situation as the holiday season approaches.
Warehouse employees demand better wages, they think they are paid less than their colleagues who work in SAQ branches.
Our members’ salaries are no longer competitive and they have to work overtime due to labor shortages. “This shortage is causing occupational health and safety problems,” said Michael Gratton.
Workers will return to warehouses early Wednesday morning, but will be out again from next Monday if no significant progress is made in negotiations.
Warehouse workers also went on strike during a surprise one-day strike last week, which has already disrupted the logistics of bottle distribution.
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Sophie Laurent is a contributor to Vaughantoday.ca, covering a wide range of topics including local news, politics, business, technology, sports, entertainment, and lifestyle. She focuses on delivering clear, balanced reporting that helps readers stay informed about current events and issues that matter to their communities. Sophie is committed to presenting accurate information, practical insights, and relevant stories in a straightforward and reader-friendly manner, making complex topics accessible to a broad audience.