Lawyers at Quebec infrastructure company vote unanimously for strike mandate

Lawyers and notaries at Société Québécoise des Infrastructures (SQI), a state-owned company supporting public bodies in managing infrastructure projects, voted unanimously Tuesday for a strike mandate that could lead to an unlimited general strike.

The union, LANEQ (Les Avocats et notaires de l'État québécois), represents approximately 20 legal professionals at the company. The core dispute centres on equal pay with other public service lawyers represented by LANEQ at other Quebec agencies. No negotiation sessions have taken place between the union and SQI since June.

Me Alexis Milette, LANEQ president, told La Presse Canadienne: "We are hopeful that the arrival of the new government led by Paul St-Pierre Plamondon will resolve the situation. Our wish is to negotiate and find a satisfactory solution for all parties, as we have succeeded in doing with the Quebec government for the public service, with the Quebec Revenue Agency and with the Energy Board." The union is independent of national labour federations.

SQI has not commented on the vote. The strike mandate follows similar action by legal professionals across Quebec's public sector. As HOC reported in September, six lawyers at Quebec's Ombudsman's Office struck over pay parity with the public service. In June, Quebec government engineers launched their own strike over compensation.