With two strikes launched Thursday morning at Hydro-Québec, the state-owned utility expects that the refusal of the affected workers to work overtime could “have an impact on more complex projects.”
The 9,000 members of two unions have launched an indefinite strike, which takes the form of a refusal to work overtime. These are the Trades Union and the Technologists Union.
Since it involves a refusal to work overtime, Hydro-Québec management notes that regular work operations are not affected. However, “certain non-urgent work or operations could be delayed due to the overtime strike.”
Related:
Hydro-Québec and the two affected local unions of the Canadian Union of Public Employees (CUPE), affiliated with the Quebec Federation of Workers (FTQ), had already agreed on the essential services to be maintained during these strikes. And the Administrative Labor Tribunal ruled that the list of essential services was sufficient to avoid endangering public health or safety.
The Tribunal’s decision stipulates that services must be provided “when one or more Hydro-Québec customers are deprived of their electricity supply due to an outage.”
The same applies to “urgent and necessary operations and work to control flooding or spillways and ensure the safety of dams.”
Both collective bargaining agreements expired on Dec. 31, 2023.
The use of subcontractors is at the heart of the dispute for both unions. The technologists’ union has added the expected flexibility to its list of grievances, as well as certain demands from the employer.
–This report by La Presse Canadienne was translated by CityNews
