The long weekend of Quebec’s National Day is disrupted by a second day of strike on five ferries operated by the Société des traversiers du Québec.
In the case of the Québec/Lévis, Sorel-Tracy/Saint-Ignace-de-Loyola and Matane/Baie-Comeau/Godbout ferries, the service is completely interrupted, as on Friday, due to the strike of some 150 workers represented by the United Steelworkers union.
At the L’Isle-aux-Coudres/Saint-Joseph-de-la-Rive and Tadoussac/Baie-Sainte-Catherine crossings, minimal service is provided, since the ferry is considered an essential service.
The Friday and Saturday strike days are the first two used under a 10-day strike mandate that was passed by 93% of union members who spoke out. The dates of the other eight days of strike remain to be determined.
The main issue in the negotiations concerns wages, as the union maintains that its members earn about $10 an hour less than other officers with comparable certifications.