Press release
After seven years of integration, ten workers uprooted from Saint-Damien

Ten Guatemalan workers who arrived in 2019 to hold operator positions at the IPL plant in Saint-Damien-de-Buckland have learned that they must leave the country within three months.

After seven years of work, integration, and contribution to Québec society, they are now being asked to pack their bags.

The announcement was made during an emotional meeting between the company, the union, and the affected employees. In the room, colleagues were in tears. Workers were in shock. One question echoed throughout: why?

“I remember welcoming them in 2019. At the time, I was president of the bargaining unit. We helped them get winter clothes. We explained snow, storms, insulated boots. We also explained how life works here,” recalls Frédéric Morin, union representative for the Union des employé·es de service (UES 800). “This morning’s meeting was the hardest I have ever had to go through in my career. These are not temporary workers passing through. These are people who have put down roots and are now being torn away from their community.”

Seven years later, they speak French. They work six days a week, sometimes more. They are among the most senior members of their unit and hold positions that are essential to production.

In the context of a chronic labour shortage, the decision raises serious questions.

The employer acknowledges that losing ten skilled operators represents a major operational shock and states that their departure was never desired. These employees are considered pillars of the plant, recognized for their professionalism, reliability, and commitment.

Three of the workers have children born in Québec. One is currently building a house. All have been paying taxes since 2019. All support local businesses. All participate actively in community life.

The mayor of Saint-Damien-de-Buckland, Sébastien Bourget, does not hide his frustration. “Despite our representations to the government, the realities of regional communities are not being heard. We are told about labour shortages and regional vitality, yet integrated workers are being removed after seven years. Our industries and municipalities are the ones paying the price,” he states.

For the union, this case clearly demonstrates the direct consequences of the new rules introduced by Minister Roberge regarding the renewal of work permits.

“This is not an isolated case. What is happening here will happen elsewhere,” warns Marie Deschênes, Interim President of UES 800. “We invest in francization. We encourage integration. And after seven years, families are torn away from their community. This lack of coherence will weaken our regions and our industries.”

Saint-Damien-de-Buckland cannot afford to lose ten experienced workers. Nor can we accept that lives built here are treated as administrative variables.

“These workers are not files. They are parents, neighbours, and full members of their community,” concludes Frédéric Morin. “If we let this happen without reacting, others will follow.”

The union, the municipality, and the workers are calling on the public to contact their elected representatives and are demanding concrete solutions.

Saint-Damien-de-Buckland needs these workers.
Québec needs coherence between its words and its actions.