Construction crews stage wildcat strikes; Labour minister threatened
Updated: Mon Oct. 24 2011 4:23:16 PM
ctvmontreal.ca
Source - Montreal
Construction workers belonging to the FTQ-Construction union walked off the job across the province this morning (Oct. 24, 2011)
MONTREAL — Construction workers walked off the job Monday at numerous sites in and around Montreal, as well as in Quebec City and Sherbrooke.
While many employees showed up as normal before dawn, by 8 a.m. employees at many locations, including the Viau Bridge, the CHUM and the MUHC superhospitals, and the Dix/30 mall on the South Shore, had put down their tools.
Despite the widespread strike, Labour Minister Lise Theriault said the Liberal government will not back down from the pending legislative change, despite receiving threats of physical violence.
Construction workers belonging to the Quebec Federation of Labour (FTQ) blocked the entrances to the Construction Commission of Quebec this morning (Oct. 11, 2011)
The construction workers, who belong to the FTQ-Construction union, a subset of the Quebec Federation of Labour, oppose legislation that would prevent unions from dictating which employees are allowed to work on job sites.
Instead, the Commission de la Construction du Quebec would create a list of eligible employees that would not need to belong to a union.
Quebec Federation of Labour says it is not involved
Despite the widespread nature of the strikes, the construction workers claim they are taking part in a spontaneous job action that is neither organized nor sanctioned by their union leaders.
Michel Arsenault, the president of the FTQ, said he took no role in the job action.
"I just came back from Europe and I spent the weekend with a miserable head cold," said Arsenault, who was visibly ill. "If there are charges to the contrary we will defend ourselves in court, as always."
Charles Chebl, site supervisor at the MUHC superhospital site, says SNC Lavalin does not have a backup plan if the construction crews do not return to work.
"It's very difficult actually. It's a big project, the biggest in Quebec. We have 560 workers," said Chebl. "If these measures last more than a week it could be very difficult for us."
Labour minister threatened
The law the union opposes, Bill 33, was introduced one month ago in the National Assembly and goes into Parliamentary hearings this week.
Theriault said the law may be controversial, but that the job action will not affect the government, even if people have threatened to "break both my legs."
The minister's personal security detail was increased after the threats were made last weekend by an anonymous caller.
"Until now, I have never really been threatened. However, on the weekend my office received a phone call with a very clear threat," said Theriault. "Security is in the process of analyzing the threat."
She hopes that Bill 33 will be adopted by December.
Two weeks ago FTQ workers held demonstrations in front of the Commission de la Construction du Quebec offices in Montreal, and plastered stickers over the windows of the Quebec offices of the provincial agency.
This morning about 150 construction workers returned, and several of the building's windows were smashed.
On Friday, employees at construction sites in Saguenay, the Outaouais and the North Shore held wildcat strikes.
Meanwhile, Quebec's Conseil du patronat is speaking out against the move with full page ads in a daily newspaper, saying that walking off the job in this manner is an unlawful action that does not benefit anyone.
With files from The Canadian Press
This story has been updated since it originally appeared.
Updated: Mon Oct. 24 2011 4:23:16 PM
ctvmontreal.ca
Source - Montreal
Construction workers belonging to the FTQ-Construction union walked off the job across the province this morning (Oct. 24, 2011)MONTREAL — Construction workers walked off the job Monday at numerous sites in and around Montreal, as well as in Quebec City and Sherbrooke.
While many employees showed up as normal before dawn, by 8 a.m. employees at many locations, including the Viau Bridge, the CHUM and the MUHC superhospitals, and the Dix/30 mall on the South Shore, had put down their tools.
Despite the widespread strike, Labour Minister Lise Theriault said the Liberal government will not back down from the pending legislative change, despite receiving threats of physical violence.
Construction workers belonging to the Quebec Federation of Labour (FTQ) blocked the entrances to the Construction Commission of Quebec this morning (Oct. 11, 2011)The construction workers, who belong to the FTQ-Construction union, a subset of the Quebec Federation of Labour, oppose legislation that would prevent unions from dictating which employees are allowed to work on job sites.
Instead, the Commission de la Construction du Quebec would create a list of eligible employees that would not need to belong to a union.
Quebec Federation of Labour says it is not involved
Despite the widespread nature of the strikes, the construction workers claim they are taking part in a spontaneous job action that is neither organized nor sanctioned by their union leaders.
Michel Arsenault, the president of the FTQ, said he took no role in the job action.
"I just came back from Europe and I spent the weekend with a miserable head cold," said Arsenault, who was visibly ill. "If there are charges to the contrary we will defend ourselves in court, as always."
Charles Chebl, site supervisor at the MUHC superhospital site, says SNC Lavalin does not have a backup plan if the construction crews do not return to work.
"It's very difficult actually. It's a big project, the biggest in Quebec. We have 560 workers," said Chebl. "If these measures last more than a week it could be very difficult for us."
Labour minister threatened
The law the union opposes, Bill 33, was introduced one month ago in the National Assembly and goes into Parliamentary hearings this week.
Theriault said the law may be controversial, but that the job action will not affect the government, even if people have threatened to "break both my legs."
The minister's personal security detail was increased after the threats were made last weekend by an anonymous caller.
"Until now, I have never really been threatened. However, on the weekend my office received a phone call with a very clear threat," said Theriault. "Security is in the process of analyzing the threat."
She hopes that Bill 33 will be adopted by December.
Two weeks ago FTQ workers held demonstrations in front of the Commission de la Construction du Quebec offices in Montreal, and plastered stickers over the windows of the Quebec offices of the provincial agency.
This morning about 150 construction workers returned, and several of the building's windows were smashed.
On Friday, employees at construction sites in Saguenay, the Outaouais and the North Shore held wildcat strikes.
Meanwhile, Quebec's Conseil du patronat is speaking out against the move with full page ads in a daily newspaper, saying that walking off the job in this manner is an unlawful action that does not benefit anyone.
With files from The Canadian Press
This story has been updated since it originally appeared.