Thank you, Madam Chair.
First, I think it's important to point out the absence, on this first day, of representatives from the employer's side or from major chains. It would have been relevant to hear their opinion on this debate.
I liked the fact that Mr. Lacroix began his presentation by mentioning that, in the 1970s in particular, working in a grocery store was dignified work. In those days, a grocer's salary was enough to buy a house. That is no longer the case today, since the salary is about $25,000, which is the equivalent of $14 an hour. That gives me a lot of food for thought.
I would like to re-emphasize the basic idea of incorporating bonuses on a regular basis. It is therefore a question of increasing the minimum wage. In fact, one of the consequences is that work in grocery stores is seen as work that is more suited to students, because working conditions, such as part-time work and the lack of a pension or group insurance plan, are more easily acceptable when you are a student.
So it's definitely no longer aimed at the middle class, making it a transitional job. All the planning and logistics become more and more difficult.
I imagine that, for unions like yours, mobilizing these workers to obtain better working conditions must be rather difficult. In my opinion, in the context of the COVID-19 crisis, it should be recognized that this is an essential service and that the issue at stake is related to the dignity of workers.
In my region this morning, I attended a meeting involving representatives of the Centre intégré de santé et de services sociaux d'Abitibi-Témiscamingue. They told us that they had hired 700 people. The context of COVID-19 has been good for promoting jobs. However, the representatives added that most of these positions were filled by grocery store or convenience store employees. It is impossible for grocery stores to compete with them in terms of salaries. This bonus should be incorporated into salaries.
However, I also received several calls from these companies telling me that their employees no longer wanted to work, because they were afraid of COVID-19 and because they could get more money with the CERB. In fact, the CERB has gone from taxable to non-taxable a few times. All of this has been very difficult for employee morale, I'm sure. As elected officials, we have to do something about it.
Mr. Lacroix, do you think an order in council is conceivable to regulate the grocery industry?