The Centre de crise de Québec, a community organization offering emergency mental health services, is going through a governance crisis. For the past six months, management and staff have been facing off over staff representation on the board of directors. There are nine seats on the board, one of which is reserved for an employee representative that management is determined to eliminate. This would deprive the leadership of the organization of an indispensable link to workers on the frontline and clients.
The impasse arose in the context of bargaining a collective agreement for 50 employees at the Centre. Most of the staff are health care and social service professionals who put up with inferior working conditions compared to the public network, out of a sense of duty toward their vulnerable clients and an organization with modest funding.
Their last contract expired on March 31, 2025. Management representatives have been demanding the elimination of the board seat since July 2025, by withdrawing an article in the collective agreement that guarantees an employee representative on the board. In December 2025, a tentative agreement was rejected by staff voting 84% against, with 16% abstentions, and the only issue was staff representation on the board. Since then, the union said it could consider the elimination of their seat on the board, but only after a one-year transition period towards a consultation committee for employees. That proposal was immediately rejected by the employer, which is insisting on the immediate abolition of the seat that has been in place for more than thirty years.
“The issue of employee representation on the board of directors is a symptom of a crisis between frontline staff who only want to keep their voice, and directors who want to take that voice away. With only one out of nine seats, staff cannot control the organization, but at least we can hope to be heard,” explained Stéphanie Watters, CUPE 5347 president.
“To see that a round of collective bargaining can be paralyzed over this one issue, shows how much our members need this forum to continue working and feeling like they are being heard. Because the real work of the Centre is happening in the field, where our staff interact with clients,” added Caroline Ruest, CUPE 5347 bargaining committee member.
The Centre de crise de Québec’s mission is to quickly intervene with people in crisis, to prevent worsening crisis, to help people stay in their regular environment and to reduce the length of hospitalization, when that becomes necessary. It also supports loved ones and others close to people in crisis. The Centre’s employees are mostly crisis intervention workers and administrative staff.
