CUPE, which represents more than 1,330 employees at the Société québécoise des infrastructures (SQI), strongly denounces the SQI’s handling of work environment issues.

In 2025, the union repeatedly reported the toxic work environment to the agreements and contractual compliance division (DGCCC) at the SQI. The situation had already led to high staff turnover and numerous work stoppages. Though many problematic issues were exposed, several complaints targeted a specific member of executive management.

A firm was hired in fall 2025 to assess the work environment, with findings pointing to a problem among executive managers. But much to CUPE’s surprise, the alleged wrongdoer was appointed to implement the action plan and its recommendations. CUPE believes this decision makes no sense, discredits the process and looks like a cover-up of the real problem.

Several grievances filed by the two CUPE locals concern psychological harassment by various SQI vice-presidents’ offices. On January 12, the newspaper Le Journal de Québec reported that dysfunction at the SQI had already cost taxpayers $132,000.

“It shows a blatant lack of respect for the employees who filed the grievances,” said Mario Laroche, president of CUPE 5522, which represents 760 professional members. “Mandating someone neutral to oversee the process should be a given in this situation; otherwise, it’s hard to see how the alleged victims will be able to resolve their conflicts with the alleged aggressor. It’s time for the SQI to fulfill its obligations: it must put an end to all forms of harassment. They have not fooled us, and we won’t accept attempts at camouflage.”

Sylvain Beaulieu, the president of CUPE 2929, representing 570 office and technical employees and outside workers, added that “top management sets the tone of organizational culture. Managers play a key role: they are expected to follow the rules, admit mistakes, act consistently and treat employees with dignity. When they don’t, inappropriate behaviours recur, get entrenched and then turn the work environment toxic.”