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Montréal – The Front commun has announced that it has reached a proposed tentative deal at the central table for the renewal of public-sector collective agreements, after 11 days of strike action and weeks of intensive work at the bargaining tables.

“Our objectives in terms of pay were based on two key principles: protecting 420,000 Front commun workers against inflation, and achieving a general increase providing some degree of catching up for all workers,” said CSN first vice-president François Enault, CSQ president Éric Gingras, FTQ president Magali Picard and APTS president Robert Comeau, speaking on behalf of the Front commun. “Those are the principles we’ve relied on throughout the negotiating blitz to reach a proposed agreement. And for us, the next step is to present that proposal to our respective decision-making bodies.”

The unions will convene their delegates over the next days in order to present the content of the proposed agreements reached at the central table and at each of the sectoral tables, and to determine if these agreements actually constitute an overall tentative deal. After that, members will be invited to participate in general assemblies where they will vote on endorsing the tentative deal. “The current round of bargaining talks will be officially completed when conditions of work and practice, as well as pay, are seen as satisfactory,” said the Front commun spokespersons. 

Until the unions’ respective decision-making bodies have met, the Front commun spokespersons will not be giving interviews.

The Front commun

Together, the CSN, CSQ, FTQ and APTS represent over 420,000 public-sector workers who are employed by the Québec government in schools, health and social services, and higher education.