Trouble is brewing at the Villa d’Alma private retirement home in Saguenay – Lac-Saint-Jean as rents could rise by nearly $500 a month.
And this is in addition to the indefinite general strike that began on December 6, depriving residents of many services and activities.
Marc Delisle, a tenant, claims he was misinformed or he would never have agreed to renew his lease. “That’s $409 more per month,” he said.
Like several other residents, he contacted the Center D’Assistance et D’Accompagnement aux Complaints du Saguenay – Lac-Saint-Jean.
“We’re not banks,” he said. Those who cannot pay, where will they go?
Every day, striking union members have to explain to residents that they are not responsible for increasing their rent, and the situation creates confusion in the midst of a labor dispute.
“We feel uncomfortable, we have to justify ourselves and we don’t always find the right words to say it’s not our fault,” explained worker Renelle Couture.
The workers are asking for a $9 an hour raise for three years, but have heard nothing from the employer since he turned down his last offer before Christmas.
Everyone is hoping for a speedy agreement to bring calm back to this residential home for the elderly, which has been hit by a third strike in just 10 years.