After over a year and a half of bargaining and a stalling mediation process, members of the Syndicat des employés et employées du Vieux-Port de Montréal (SEVPM-PSAC 10333) have had enough and are now considering a strike vote.
The employer, who complains of not being able to attract or retain a stable workforce, will now have to contract out, as inefficient as that is. All the while, it continues to offer disrespectful and unaccommodating working conditions and wage offers.
The last wage offer dates back to January, when the employer had the audacity to propose a 0% increase for the first year and a meager 1.25% for the second. A global offer of 1% over five years is simply disgraceful. Considering the current rate of inflation, the offer would be a significant and unacceptable step back for Old Port workers.
A 2017 comparative study had already identified a 35.1% gap with similar organizations, a gap that has been widening since. For a federal crown corporation, this is unacceptable.
“In my entire union career, I have rarely seen such a disinterested employer. It seems to have no regard for its staff or even its purpose,” said Yvon Barrière, Regional Executive Vice-President, PSAC-Quebec.
The bargaining process with this employer has always been laborious, as exemplified by the five-week lockout in 2003 and the six-month strike in 2016. Ultimately, Old Port of Montreal workers will have no choice but to take strike action to make themselves heard by their inconsiderate employer.