Mostly minimum wage employees at a Montreal seniors’ residence (RPA) are taking out the picket lines to obtain a first raise in three years.
«[Les demandes] are not very high, it is $2.25 per hour over three years,” argues the vice-president of the Federation of Health and Social Services (FSSS-CSN), Lucie Longchamp.
From today (June 25) until June 30, employees of RPA Le Citadin in Montreal are on strike, but they will continue to offer essential services to seniors. These are maintenance, food and reception attendants.
For the forty employees, the last increase in the salary scale dates from 2021, supports the FSSS. Practical nurses and orderlies earn above the minimum wage of $15.75/hour, notably thanks to government bonuses.
According to the union, the employer, Groupe Résidences Excellence, did not even offer a counter-proposal at their last meeting at the end of May.
- Listen to the explanations of journalist Hugo Duchaine via OLD :
No means
The latter would not have the means to offer these salary increases, but refuses to open its accounting books to the union to demonstrate it.
“We always have an opening [à négocier]our goal is not to close businesses or put seniors on the street,” assures M.me Longchamp, which deplores the lack of collaboration.
But she adds that, throughout Quebec, RPA owners have granted the same requests to their employees, as part of a coordinated negotiation.
Our request for an interview at the 181-unit RPA went unanswered. On its website, the place lists rents at about $1,100 to $1,900, after the government’s 30% tax credit reduction.
Captive employees
According to Mme Longchamp, the monthly cost can easily reach $4,000 per month, since all treatments, meals and services are then billed per piece. A model that the FSSS would like to see abolished by Quebec, so that the care of vulnerable seniors is taken care of by the State.
“It makes no sense in 2024 for employees to struggle to earn above the minimum wage,” denounces Mme Longchamp, adding that the employees, most of whom are immigrants, are trapped in these poor conditions.
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