Not many Crees work at Hydro-Quebec despite the 1986 La Grande Agreement guaranteeing 160 jobs by Jan. 1,1996. Today the number of Cree workers is low: only seven permanent employees, 12 temporary workers and 11 workers subject to recall if positions become available. This is out of a workforce of about 20,000.
The problem may be more than language, a lack of training, lack of willingness to work for Hydro-Quebec or any of the reasons that both Cree leadership and Hydro-Quebec talk about.
The Montreal TV network aired a story on its show called En Direct on Dec. 4 talking about Chisasibi residents not paying Hydro’s electric bills. During the show, Susan Duchesne, a former non-permanent Hydro-Quebec worker, complained that Hydro-Quebec had discriminated against her by laying her off, while keeping the less-experienced Chisasibi Cree Jacqueline Lessard. On the TVA show, Duchesne asked in French, “Why do Indians get special treatment?” Also during the TV show Duchesne clearly mentioned Lessard’s name and gave out her home address, an action that has Lessard worried.
Since the show, Lessard had been treated differently by a few of her co-workers. After a discussion with her boss the situation has “gotten better,” according to Lessard.
Lessard doesn’t want other Crees to have these types of problems or the sense of isolation that she experienced. She attempted to get help and assistance from her union and her
Band Council but none was forthcoming. She felt she was left to fend for herself.
Some present and former Cree workers are looking for a monitoring system to look at how Cree workers are doing in the utility.
Lessard’s brother, Peter Pelchat, worked for Hydro in the past. He said the lack of a monitoring system contributes to the high turn-over of Cree employees. “There are only a few Crees working for Hydro. I felt very alone at times and this is why I left the company. There has to be a system in place where we can count on assistance.”
Hydro-Quebec has culture awareness sessions they give to co-workers of Cree employees, but admits it can’t control what people think. Rene Arsenault, a Hydro-Quebec spokeswomen, said when they heard of the TVA show they had a quick response. They went on the show the next day to explain the system in place at Hydro-Quebec. Hydro-Quebec during the show said its action in laying off Duchesne while keeping Lessard was in keeping with agreements between the Crees and Hydro-Quebec to end some of the hiring discrimination faced by the Crees.
“Lessard was worried because her address was given out,” said Arsenault.”This is a sensitive situation. It is something that we at Hydro do not wish to seeget out of hand. You know how easily these things can happen.” Arsenault went on tosay that when HQ heard of the potential it contacted Lessard’s asked how things were.
