Quebec reaches tentative deals with all ‘Common Front’ labour unions

The Quebec government has reached tentative agreements on working conditions with all the unions that are part of a labour alliance representing about 420,000 public sector workers.

The last deal was reached overnight with a union representing around 1,000 professional workers at several school boards near Montreal — the Union of Professionals of Laval-Rive-Nord (SPPLRN-SCFP). It was the last of the public sector unions affiliated with the FTQ to reach a deal.

With the latest agreement, Quebec now has deals in principle with all the unions of the so-called “Common Front,” which launched a series of strikes starting in November that shut down schools and delayed surgeries.

The agreements do not include salaries and benefits, which are still being discussed.

Meanwhile, Federation des professionnelles et professionnels de l’education du Quebec, a CSQ-affiliated union representing workers at 58 French-language school boards, said Wednesday its elected leadership unanimously approved a tentative agreement reached on Dec. 23.

“We think the agreement in principle reached today contains elements that will significantly improve the working conditions of professional staff for several years,” union president Jacques Landry said in a news release.

But he cautioned that the deal won’t be presented to members for final approval until salaries are settled, adding that without a complete agreement, the common front unions will walkout in early 2024.

The FTQ and the CSN declined to comment Wednesday on the state of salary negotiations or what led to the wave of tentative agreements on working conditions.

Leaders of the Common Front have threatened to launch an unlimited strike early in the new year if deals for salaries and working conditions aren’t reached.

The province has still not reached deals with two major unions — one representing about 80,000 health-care workers (FIQ), and another with 66,000 teachers (FAE) who have been on unlimited strike since Nov. 23.

The office of Treasury Board Chair Sonia LeBel declined to comment Wednesday on the state of negotiations.