On the morning of April 14th, 2021, about 75,000 Quebec teachers went on a limited strike from 12am-9am. What is a limited strike and what does it mean?
Coordinated work stoppage
A strike is when workers decide to stop working when their collective agreement expires. The goal of a strike is to paralyze the business and force the employer to reach a satisfactory agreement.
Legal strikes
Workers must follow some rules to strike legally. They must be part of a legally recognized union. Their collective agreement must also have expired for at least 90 days. Finally, the union must send a written notice a little over a week before the strike.
Did you know? Police and firefighters are not allowed to strike by law.
Different kinds of strikes
A “general” strike means that all the workers in a bargaining unit stop working at the same time. A “rotating” strike means that groups of workers stop working in rotation.
In the same sense, strikes can be for a specific time (a limited strike) or an indefinite time (unlimited strike)
Limits on the employer’s power
The employer is not allowed to replace, fire, or discipline a worker who exercises their right to strike.
Parents: you have access to time-off.Under the Act Respecting Labour Standards, you have the right to take time off work to take care of your children. You can take up to 10 unpaid days off per year. In some cases, the first 2 might be paid. To learn more read our article “Time Off Work for Personal and Family Reasons”. |