The strike of the engineers: 200 yards behind

Photo Stevens LeBlanc
Whereas, 250 projects are currently in the works, an additional 200 lag ranging from a few days to over a year. Here, a shipyard on the autoroute Félix-Leclerc, in Quebec city.

Kathryne Lamontagne

Wednesday, 12 July 2017 00:00

UPDATE
Wednesday, 12 July 2017 00:00

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Not less than 200 yards from the ministry of Transport, totalling some$ 195 Million in contracts, a delay of a few days to more than a year because of the strike of engineers, learned The Newspaper.

This is the most recent data from the MTQ, who works since 13 June – the last day of the three weeks of release – to rebuilding the schedule of work planned for 2017-2019.

“The exercise that we are doing, it is the prioritization of projects,” says spokesperson Sarah Bensadoun. We need to review each of the projects, one by one. “If the contracts accuse them of delays, none of them, however, will be canceled, she said.

Entrepreneurs worried

The situation is still a cause for concern for the entrepreneurs, whereas the 1,400 members of the Association of professional engineers of the government of Quebec have renewed their mandate to strike on Friday after rejecting the latest offerings in the province.

“We don’t know yet if they will go back on strike or not. They have the right to strike, but we don’t know what it’s going to give, ” said a first charge of project, which will start with a two-month delay of the refurbishment work for the ministry.

A year late

Another contractor has recently obtained the dates of times of its projects, which were expected to begin in the spring. At least one of them may not take place until next year, he says.

Even the sound of a bell in a third contractor, who can see a project of$ 1.5 Million be deferred to the next year. He has also had to fight with the MTQ to ensure that one of its projects, begun in the winter, to resume after the strike. “It took three weeks to get the authorization. And it was a contract easy, the ministry had to give it a go “, pleaded he.

Use

In the Face of these delays, the business men – who have all kept to protect their identity for fear of reprisals from the ministry – sent notice of intent to the government, in order to find the “thousands of dollars” in lost revenue.

“On one of our contracts, we would have to mobilize on Monday, but it has received a letter as to what you forgot it, on the Friday before. There was already signage in place, it is a fee, ” said a contractor.

“There are projects that we must carry out absolutely this year, but to get there, we will need to do more overtime. It is sure that you will claim it, ” says another owner of a construction company, which has six contracts with the department.

The conflict and its consequences

The strike of the engineers took place from 24 may to 13 June :

• 200 projects currently in arrears (value of 195$M)
• 250 projects in the works (value$880 Million)

The criteria for the prioritization of projects and road construction :

• The projects aimed to ensure the safety of users.
• The structures that have impairments.
• The projects that were already initiated at the time of the strike or which were to be shortly.