The employer agreed to a 19.7-per-cent wage increase for SAQ employees over six years.
Employees from the Société des Alcools du Québec (SAQ) will finally have a new collective agreement after 71 per cent of union members ratified the agreement’s terms on Friday.
This brings to an end the two years of negotiations between the SAQ and its unionized employees. The union announced the news in a press release and thanked its members for having been “united in this fight.”
“After two years of sticking together with an uncompromising employer, we have the belief, given our socio-economic circumstances, we are in search of the best collective agreement possible,” according to the union press release.
The new agreement offers a 19.7-per-cent wage increase over the next six years, according to a document the union sent to its members last week. It also prevents the employer from eliminating more than 30 positions per year.
The Syndicat des employé(e)s de magasins et de bureaux de la SAQ (SEMB-SAQ-CSN) said 2,346 members cast their ballots on Friday, out of the 5,000 employees represented by the union.
The union says “the fight continues” for its members and it will take great care to ensure the new terms are implemented under the best possible conditions.
Unionized members have been without a collective agreement since March 2023.
The employer is “pleased” with the adoption of the new contract.
“The acceptance of this agreement now allows us to focus fully on the holiday season that is upon us, in order to offer a service and experience to our customers that are up to the quality standards they are accustomed to,” SAQ president and CEO Jacques Farcy said in a statement.
“I would like to express my deep gratitude to our customers, business partners and all our employees for their patience and understanding over the past few months.”