Healthcare professionals stage a protest outside the McGill University Health Centre super hospital on Monday, December 11, 2023, in Montreal. The demonstration is captured in an image by THE CANADIAN PRESS/Ryan Remiorz.
In the wake of significant strides in negotiations aimed at renewing collective agreements within the public sector, talks have been temporarily halted until post-Christmas, according to an announcement by Treasury Board president Sonia LeBel on a social media platform, formerly known as Twitter. The CSQ union has corroborated this information.
Recent days witnessed notable progress in sectoral discussions, particularly within the health and education domains. Multiple unions reported tentative agreements on working conditions, albeit without consensus on wage-related matters.
Late on Sunday, the provincial government disclosed its acceptance of sectoral settlement proposals involving nine CSQ-affiliated unions and all eight CSN-affiliated unions. Simultaneously, APTS and CUPE's Conseil des collèges declared a tentative agreement after an intensive night of bargaining at the sectoral table.
APTS, representing 65,000 members in the health and social services sector, expressed commitment to enhancing working conditions and professional recognition. The union emphasized the need for a central table agreement before any proposal is presented to its members.
The Quebec government later confirmed the sectoral agreements without divulging specifics, indicating a five-year duration. The Conseil des collèges echoed a similar announcement, underscoring the connection between the hypothetical settlement and negotiations at the central table, where wage issues are addressed.
The Common Front, an alliance encompassing CSN, CSQ, FTQ, and APTS and representing around 420,000 Quebec public sector workers, concentrates on wage and pension plan negotiations at the central table. APTS President Robert Comeau highlighted the gains achieved, emphasizing their potential to enhance attraction and retention across the union's diverse job titles.
On Saturday, the FSSS-CSN initiated momentum by announcing a sectoral "hypothesis of agreement in principle" covering 120,000 healthcare workers over five years. The FSSS-CSN agreement, extending from 2023 to 2028, encompasses nearly 40% of health and social services network personnel.
Educational sector negotiations also made headway, with the FPPE-CSQ proposing a sectoral settlement for 58 French-language school service centers. This proposal addresses professional staff working conditions and awaits ratification by the federation's federal council on December 27.
Additionally, the FSE-CSQ and QPAT ratified a sectoral settlement with the Legault government, covering 95,000 teachers across the province and teachers in the English-language school network, respectively. The FPPC-CSQ also announced a sectoral agreement in principle, encompassing over 2,000 professionals in Quebec CEGEPs.
