If you're tired of seeing Montreal police officers parading around in camouflage pants, you're not in luck; more colourful leg wear is hitting the streets today.
The 960 paramedics part of the Fédération de la santé et des services sociaux-CSN (FSSS-CSN) in Montreal and Laval have started wearing the camo-pants as part of a protest against stalled negotiations with Urgences-Santé. Union officials went around handing the pants out on Wednesday. One emergency responder jokingly told the Journal de Montreal he already has five pairs.
The same tactic has been used twice before, in 2012 and 2013.
Salary, workload and pensions are just some of the details that still need to be hammered out for a new collective agreement to be completed, but the union said talks have been dragging on too long.
Contracts expired in March of 2015.
Paramedics in other regions like the Montérégie, Lanaudière, Mauricie, Abitibi and Gaspésie will not be switching their styles, but they did vote to go on strike.
If the delay in a new agreement continues, a strike notice from Montreal and Laval union workers could be delivered soon.