Quebec’s treasury board president, Sonia LeBel, made a plea to unions on Nov. 19 to present a counter-offer to the government’s most recent contract proposal, as a series of public sector strikes loom. LeBel stressed the importance of the unions responding with a counter-proposal to the government’s serious offer of $8 billion.
The negotiations pertain to contracts for approximately 600,000 public sector workers, including educators, healthcare professionals, and other public sector staff. The unions initially rejected the government’s offer to provide a 10.3% salary increase over five years, along with a one-time payment of $1,000 per worker.
Despite the government’s commitment to align the offer with inflation forecasts, the unions have deemed the proposal to be offensive. They have expressed their dissatisfaction with the current offers and announced plans for strike action.
The Fédération interprofessionnelle de la santé du Québec responded to LeBel’s plea by criticizing the government’s offers and warning of potential safety concerns for health workers. Additionally, they announced plans for a two-day strike. Various public sector unions, representing over 420,000 workers, are set to participate in strikes throughout the week.
Moreover, the unions have emphasized the urgency of reaching a settlement. François Enault, vice-president of the CSN, one of the four main unions, affirmed their readiness to negotiate and expressed the desire for a settlement before the holidays.
The discord between the government and the unions continues to escalate, and widespread strikes are expected to impact public services and institutions across Quebec.