Union members approve new contract with Surete du Quebec

An SQ cruiser. (Paul Chiasson / The Canadian Press)

The 5,800 members of the union representing Quebec provincial police officers voted overwhelmingly in favour of the agreement in principle reached with the Sûreté du Québec (SQ).

Nearly nine out of 10 members of the Association des policières et policiers provinciaux du Québec (APPQ) voted, and 70 per cent of them supported the terms of the new contract.

"We worked hard and with determination to present our members with an agreement that enhances and better recognizes the unique status of police officers working for the Sûreté du Québec," says APPQ President Jacques Painchaud in a press release.

The previous collective agreement expired in March 2022. Last September, APPQ members rejected a first agreement, which included a 21 per cent wage increase over five years, by nearly 60 per cent.

Both parties turned to conciliation. A proposed settlement hypothesis served as a draft for the agreement voted on.

"The salary increases provide an essential catch-up and are accompanied by improved conditions of practice. That's what our members wanted," says Painchaud.

For its part, the employer is getting greater flexibility from its police officers, enabling it to provide better service to the public.

The new contract is for six years.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published in French on July 12, 2024.