Negotiations between the Quebec government and unions representing public-sector employees are expected to resume following a series of breakthroughs and a pause for Christmas. Several labour groups belonging to the alliance known as the common front announced tentative deals with the government over the weekend. These deals only cover working conditions, and talks regarding compensation and benefits are still underway at the central bargaining table of the common front.
The alliance has carried out several multi-day strikes in the last two months and is threatening an unlimited walkout in the new year unless an agreement is reached with the government. Separate unions representing teachers and health-care workers, approximately 66,000 and 80,000 respectively, are negotiating independently with the government and were not part of the groups that reached a deal before Christmas.
The teachers’ union has been on an unlimited strike since November 23, which led to the closure of about 800 schools for four weeks before the holiday break, including those in Montreal. The union has expressed its readiness to enter a more intense phase of negotiations in the hopes of reaching an agreement. Talks on pay and benefits, however, are still ongoing.