Quebec’s coalition of unions signs tentative agreement with government

Hundreds of thousands of public sector workers in Quebec might be close to cutting a deal with the provincial government as their unions have signed a tentative agreement.

The Front Commun – a coalition of unions representing more than 420,000 public sector workers in the province – has tentatively agreed to a 17.4% salary increase over five years for the workers.

While it falls short of the 20% that the unions had publicly asked for, the package included “a purchasing power protection clause” for each of the last three years of the collective agreement,” the Front Commun said in French.

The deal also includes additional concessions on vacations, parental leave and benefits, according to a CBC report. These include insurance and the pension system.

The salary increase offer is also higher than the initial government offer of 13%, noted CBC.

The unions that make up Front Commun are currently contemplating the government’s offer. If their leaders agree to the deal, it will become an agreement in principle.

“If this is the case, it will then be up to you to decide at a general meeting held from January 2024,” Front Commun told its members in French. “This round of negotiations will be officially settled when the working and practice conditions, as well as the salary conditions, are deemed satisfactory by you, the 420,000 workers grouped within this historic Common Front.”

‘Biggest strike ever in Canada’

The common front unions went on strike for 11 days last year. Late in November 2023, with about 570,000 workers on strike at the same time, the Quebec government expressed its willingness to give in to some of the unions’ demands. That was said to be the “biggest strike ever in Canada”.

Deadlocked at that time were negotiations between the Quebec government and the following unions, according to a report from the Montreal Gazette:

• the common front of public-sector unions, which represents 420,000 workers who are members of the CSN, CSQ, APTS and FTQ
• the Fédération interprofessionnelle de la santé du Québec (FIQ), which represents 80,000 nurses and other health professionals
• the Fédération autonome de l’enseignement (FAE), which represents 66,000 teachers under nine unions
• 700 members of the Syndicat de professionnelles et professionnels du gouvernement du Québec

Thousands of Canadian workers walked off their jobs throughout the country in the first half of 2023. In August, two experts warned that more strike actions might be on the way.