The Société des alcools du Québec (French for Quebec Alcohols Corporation), often abbreviated and referred to as SAQ, is a state-owned corporation in the Province of Quebec. The Société's mission is to provide quality alcoholic beverages.
The SAQ enjoys a monopoly over alcohol distribution Quebec, except for major local and foreign beers. It acts as a wholesaler for wine and other low-alcohol-content beverages, which can be sold outside SAQ branches, usually in dépanneurs and grocery stores. Distilled alcohol can only be sold in SAQ stores.
The Act respecting the Société des alcools du Québec (R.S.Q. S-13) [1] is the official piece of legislation governing the SAQ's operations and management.
The Société des alcools du Québec headquarters is located in Montreal.
Recent events
On 19 November 2004 the Société's 3800 employees went on strike (in French). They were protesting because their contract had expired two years prior and negociations on its renewal weren't making any progress. Trade unions were concerned by the work schedules, the status of part-time and temporary employees and the specter of privatization.
In the first month or so the strike went mostly unnoticed but as the Holiday season kept approaching, many Quebecers wished the unions would strike a deal with SAQ executives. In fact they did not and the strike went on until 11 February 2005. On that day SAQ stores reopened their doors after the employees voted in favour of the union-negociated deal. The new contract included pay increases and the creation of 250 new full-time posts (in French).
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