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Unifor members cautious of Marquis sale to American giant

Unifor is approaching the sale of Marquis Imprimeur in Quebec to Lakeside Book, the largest book printer in North America, with caution.

Earlier this month, Marquis Imprimeur met with unionized workers at the Louiseville, Que., printing plant to break the news to workers, as well as to reassure them of job security. According to the employer, skilled labour was an important part of the transaction between Lakeside and Marquis printing companies.

Daniel St.-Pierre, national representative for Unifor Québec said the union is being cautious. Even if the majority of production contracts come from the United States, it’s always a little worrying when an American company acquires a Quebec company, he said.

“We’ll see with time what really happens, but the fact that we have a work contract until February 2028 reassures us,” said St.-Pierre. “We have an excellent working relationship, and we hope this will continue with the new buyer.”

In April 2022, the parties had mutually agreed to extend the contract that was due to expire in February 2023. Unifor Local 145 represents around 125 employees in the Louiseville printing plant.