By Canadian Press

Quebec legal aid lawyers set for four-day strike over equal pay with Crown attorneys

Jun 6, 2022 | 11:33 AM

MONTREAL — Hundreds of legal aid lawyers in Quebec are taking part in a four-day strike because the provincial government is offering them less than it did for Crown attorneys. 

About 200 legal aid lawyers walked off the job today for a two-day strike, while a separategroup of about 210 lawyers are set to strike Wednesday and Thursday.

Legal aid lawyers, who often represent marginalized communities and low-income people, are demanding that Quebec continue the 30-year tradition of paying them the same as Crown attorneys.

Quebec is instead offering legal aid lawyers a two per cent salary increase per year over three years, but it gave Crown prosecutors a 2.5 per cent increase per year over four years starting in 2020.

Legal aid lawyers are planning protests across Quebec, including in front of the offices of government ministers and at the provincial legislature.

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They say that in order to retain high-quality lawyers in the legal aid system, the government must pay them the same as Crown prosecutors.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published on June 6, 2022. 

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This story was produced with the financial assistance of the Meta and Canadian Press News Fellowship.

The Canadian Press

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