MONTREAL — Legal aid lawyers in four regions of Quebec are on strike this week.

They are asking the government to offer them the same salary as Crown prosecutors.

Cédric Bernier is an executive member of the Quebec City union.

He told The Canadian Press that the collective agreement for legal aid lawyers in Quebec expired three years ago.

The legal aid offices in the Quebec City, Outaouais, Estrie and Côte-Nord regions will be on strike until Friday.

Legal aid lawyers represent clients who do not have the financial means to hire a private lawyer.

The strike has already caused 230 criminal and youth cases to be delayed in Quebec City, Bernier said.

A longer strike is still on the table if negotiations don’t move forward, he said. He added that the unions hope not to get to that point, fearing the effect of long strikes on clients.

“The people who are represented by legal aid, we’re talking about the most vulnerable people in our society: people with mental health problems, students, seniors, people with low income,” he said.

Bernier said legal aid lawyers regularly have to negotiate to maintain the same salary as the Crown prosecutors.

“We always have to fight to get it, every time (the collective agreement) renews,” he said.

The government has offered the unions a 14.5 per cent increase over four years, he said.

Bernier noted that the government gave Crown prosecutors a 17 per cent increase and said it’s now up to the government to improve their offer to avoid further labour action.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Aug. 31, 2026.

Marieke Glorieux-Stryckman, The Canadian Press