Following the lead of two Hydro-Québec unions, one representing specialists and professionals and the other onsite nurses, a third HQ union representing grid employees (SERHQ-CUPE 5735) has issued a strike notice, announcing that they will refuse to work overtime from June 16 to 20, 2025.
This group consists of 205 employees who perform critical tasks. They look after the planning and operation of Hydro-Québec’s entire power grid. They include systems control centre dispatchers, regional operations centre dispatchers, planning, outage and production officers along with operations officers.
Their collective agreement expired on December 31, 2024. Negotiations began on December 21, 2023. To date, about 75 bargaining sessions have taken place at the sectoral table and some 25 at the common demands table.
The issues at the sectoral table are quite extensive, as the employer wants to revamp the operational model, which involves changing all of the job titles, job descriptions, work schedules, working conditions and even where some members work.
The union will have no comment until further notice.