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The Société des alcools du Québec’s unionized employees walked off the job Tuesday morning, executing the first of six possible strike days they had voted to use in order to pressure management into awarding a better contract.

The union is in negotiations for a new contract, and the main issues of contention are weekend scheduling and part-time work. Their contract expired in March 2017. At the end of June, the SAQ’s 5,500 unionized employees voted 91 per cent in favour of the six strike days. They have yet to specify when the five remaining strike days will take place.

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Since then, the SAQ and the union have held two days of negotiations.

The SAQ said 60 of its stores will remain open, run by managers. It said it will have a list of open stores on its website, www.saq.com.

About 20 picketers gathered outside an SAQ Selection on De Maisonneuve Blvd. and City Councillors St. on Tuesday morning.