Members of the union representing professionals with the Société québécoise des infrastructures, SPSQI), CUPE 5522, have voted in favour of a mandate calling for a strike lasting five working days at a time that is deemed opportune. Some 85% of the 735 or so members exercised their right to strike. If required, they will stop working overtime. They have been without a contract for close to four years.
“We’re dealing with negotiators who don’t have a mandate to resolve the dispute. In order to get out of the impasse we find ourselves in, the employer must receive a clear mandate from the president of the Conseil du trésor, which would provide answers to our monetary demands. It is also important that the employer provide competitive working conditions, as staff turnover is worrisome and expertise is being lost,” said Mario Laroche, president of CUPE 5522.
The SPSQI brings together engineers, architects, project managers, real estate advisors and other professionals who plan and manage major projects and the maintenance of Government of Quebec buildings the SQI owns. The major projects include the construction of all of the Maisons des aînés, new hospitals, new secondary schools and renovation and construction work on court houses and penal institutions throughout Quebec.