Its employees were robbed by Hydro-Québec: “The government is not helping us”

“The government is not helping us. I can’t afford it,” laments the owner of an electrical services SME in Marguerite-d’Youville’s MRC, who can’t bear to see Hydro-Québec come for its experienced electricians.

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“I’ve lost three or four people in the last two years who went to work for Hydro-Québec,” said Stéphane Robert, owner of DR Électric in Varennes.

“They have good salaries and good benefits. Their workload is very light,” the SME’s boss continues.

What shocks him is that after investing thousands of dollars to teach them the trade in this sector, a state company does not hesitate to approach them and offer them juicy contracts on a silver platter.

“How can you expect a private contractor who raises buildings to win the bid while fighting the government that gives everything to the employees will be cheap? “, he wonders aloud.

“We run them [les électriciens]And then, they give them the gold mine,” he said.

Hydro protects itself

Interviewed by NewspaperStefan Robert said: He 100% understands workers who want to improve their work, but he regrets seeing talented employees leave.

When questioned on the matter, Hydro-Québec indicated that it does not “target recruitment” or “intensive campaigning” to the contrary.

“To meet operational requirements, we recruit switchgear electricians at the beginning of every year; So it’s a cyclical process,” explained its spokesman Louis-Oliver Baty.

He also clarified that most of these are temporary status appointments.

“Since July, we have had no new electrician appointments. Most recruitment takes place in the spring. We have no recruitment challenge for this type of position, because at the beginning of each year, we can count on a bank of candidates,” continued Louis-Olivier Baty.

According to the Job Bank site, the average salary for a Quebec electrician is $35.50 per hour (as of November 16, 2022).

“The salary scale we offer is $29.03 per hour to $39.30 per hour depending on the candidate’s perceived experience,” he concluded.