Workers at private seniors' homes to strike Monday
Workers calling for wage increase from current average of $12.50 up to $15 an hour
Employees at some private seniors' residences in Quebec are set to begin a 48-hour strike on Monday as part of their efforts to secure better work conditions and higher wages.
Earlier this month, 3,000 employees from 42 private long-term care homes held a one-day rotating strike. It marked the first time unionized workers at private seniors' residences have walked off the job as part of a labour dispute.
Tomorrow, hundreds of employees from 40 senior residences will continue to put the pressure on, affecting mostly seniors' homes in the Greater Montreal region but also in Quebec City, Trois-Rivières, Chicoutimi and the Saguenay.
SQEES-FTQ, the union representing the employees — 80 per cent of which are women working as housekeepers, nursing assistants, cooks and team leaders — has been in ongoing negotiations with employers.
Workers have been calling for a wage increase from the current average of $12.50 to $15 an hour.
Essential services will continue during the strike.
The union says its next step is to hold a general strike.