Most SAQ stores across the province are closed today, because of a strike. Management is keeping 73 stores open, including 18 in the Montreal area.
This is the second of the SAQ employees 6 strike days. The main issues are scheduling and part-time work. The union says 70 per cent of the SAQs employees are part-time.
"It's not based on salary at all," said SAQ worker Liam Belcourt. "We're actually looking to protect our hours, protect our full time positions."
They're also hoping fewer full-time employees will have to work weekends.
"The more your life moves forward the more likely you are to have a child or multiple children and people want to spend time with their children at home," Belcourt said. "So as we move forward we'd like to have the opportunity to have full time positions that take place more during the week."
Workers protested in front of Premier Philippe Couillard's office Wednesday afternoon in hopes of pressuring the government to force the SAQ to negotiate with its employees.
"They deserve a good collective contract," said union rep Dominique Daigneault. "We say that everyone that has a role to play in that negotiation must play it because they deserve to have good working conditions."
The union is expected to meet with the government on Thursday and Friday to advance discussions and share their message of fairness.
"They want to be respected because they give a good service from day to day," said union rep Dominique Daigneault.
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Here are the Montreal area stores that are open today:
23020 Beaubien / De Lorimier
2100, rue Beaubien Est
Montréal
23124 Côte-des-Neiges/Jean-Brillant
5252, ch. de la Côte-des-Neiges, loc 112
Montréal
23059 Dorion
401, boulevard Harwood
Vaudreuil-Dorion
23009 Du Parc/Fairmount Ouest
5261, avenue du Parc
Montréal
23036 Fleury/Papineau
1745-A, rue Fleury Est
Montréal
23044 Galeries d'Anjou
7999, boul des Galeries d'Anjou, lc G004
Anjou
23153 Galeries des Sources
40, boulevard Brunswick
Dollard-des-Ormeaux
23169 Galeries Normandie
2834, rue de Salaberry
Montréal
23250 Griffintown
231, rue Peel, local B-102
Montréal
23138 Jean-Talon/Viau
7205 boulevard Viau
Montréal
23150 Kirkland - St-Charles/Brunswick
3691, boulevard Saint-Charles
Kirkland
23026 Lachine - 28e avenue
460, 28e Avenue
Lachine
23055 Marché Jean-Talon
7077, Casgrain
Montréal
23210 Mont-Royal Est/Mentana
940, avenue du Mont-Royal Est
Montréal
23092 N.D.G. - Rue Sherbrooke Ouest
6108, rue Sherbrooke Ouest
Montréal
23167 Place Dupuis
865, rue Sainte-Catherine Est, Loc. R28Z
Montréal
23001 Ste-Catherine Ouest/Stanley
1176, rue Sainte-Catherine Ouest
Montréal
23071 Valleyfield
406, Chemin Larocque
Salaberry-de-Valleyfield
The full list of open SAQ outlets