Quebec union negotiations: Premier Legault ‘very open on monetary issues’

While Premier François Legault says he’s “very open on money” in exchange for more flexibility from unions in managing public services, the Common Front counters that “their flexibility means ripping pages out of our collective agreements.”

If public sector managers get more powers, as Quebec wants, “things will get even worse” in public services, argued François Enault, vice-president of the CSN, at a press conference on Thursday in Quebec City.

The common front, which is made up of the APTS, FTQ, CSQ and CSN, was reacting to the new wage offer tabled Wednesday afternoon by Treasury Board President Sonia LeBel – now offering 12.7 per cent over five years to all government employees.

Meeting with reporters on Thursday morning, Legault said he was “very open about money” in exchange for more leeway in the management of public services, and in the application of collective agreements.

He bluntly accused the unions of wanting to manage public services instead of managers. “It’s not right that our network should be managed by unions rather than by managers,” he said.

He argued that often, workers would agree with government proposals, but it’s the unions who oppose them.

“For decades, we have failed to improve education and health services. Much because of the rigidity of collective agreements.”

CSQ president Éric Gingras refuted these accusations of lack of flexibility on the part of the unions. “What we’re saying is that we’re making moves at the tables.”

He points to the fact that the Common Front, which tabled its demands based on three-year contracts, would be “ready to work over more years”. The government, in fact, bases its offer on a five-year contract.

“Important to understand that the offer that is on the table this morning is 12.7 percent over five years. We don’t need to tell you that this is very far from what we are asking, very far from reality. If there was a final agreement at 12.7 percent over five years, it would once again be a setback for provincial civil servants, a setback which is absolutely undesirable due to the fact that currently the situation in our establishments is at the level education, health or social services – we already have difficulty attracting the workforce and keeping the workforce we have. It would be a tragedy if tomorrow morning we accepted an offer like that,” said Magali Picard, FTQ president.

“It’s not enough because you see 12.7% for five years, just the cost of living for those five years is more than that. You see, just for the last two years, we talk about around 11%,” said François Enault, the first vice-president the CSN union in an interview with CityNews Montreal.

The latest offer from the Quebec government is not sitting well with at least one teacher in the Montreal area.

“I’ve been now teaching for 18 years. Every single round of negotiation has left me poor in terms of purchasing power,” said Robert Green, a history teacher at Westmount high school. “You know, we have never gotten a raise that keeps up with inflation. And you know this is important because you know the teaching profession is in crisis in Quebec.”

The rejected offer of 12.7 per cent over five years means that Common Front public sector unions, representing about 420-thousand members who work primarily in health, education and social services, will still be on strike as of Friday for seven days.

“There’s an economic impact. There’s a lot of logistical impact. There’s an impact on the family unit,” said Katherine Korakakis, president of the English Parents’ Committee Association of Quebec. “The victims and all of this are the most vulnerable students, which are students with special needs, learning difficulties or children that come from difficult backgrounds. This is the impact that the hardest felt.”

“It will be a week now with the kids around the house and call the grandparents and, or take some days off. I know it’s a good, it’s a big sacrifice they are doing,” said Enault, the CSN first vice-president. 

“We are doing that for our members, but we are doing that for all the Quebecers to be sure they will have a better school, better hospital and better services.”

This report by The Canadian Press was first published in French on Dec. 7, 2023, and translated by CityNews.