The Front commun acknowledges Québec’s new offer

March 27, 2023

Montréal — Unions belonging to the Front commun – the CSN, CSQ, FTQ and APTS – have acknowledged a new offer tabled by the Québec government in the context of public-sector bargaining talks. The offer was presented by the Treasury Board at the bargaining table today.

The Front commun will study the new offer, which clarifies the previous one, before making any further comment. The labour union coalition stated once again that it is always willing to negotiate in order to reach a settlement that will benefit all Quebecers as well as the workers represented by the Front commun – 420,000 people employed in schools, health and social services, and higher education.

The Front commun also noted that in order to get the full picture of the government’s new proposal, it will be necessary to wait and see the content of sectoral offers that will be presented at the various bargaining tables over the next weeks.

The clock is ticking

Public-sector collective agreements are due to expire in five days, on March 31, 2023. The Front commun will mark the event by holding a big rally on March 30 at the Québec City Convention Centre.

To ensure genuine recognition for public-sector jobs, the Front commun is calling for a mechanism that will permanently protect workers against inflation, as well as a general catch-up pay increase to provide real gains. For 2023, this means either an additional $100 per week or the Consumer Price Index (CPI) + 2%, whichever is most beneficial. The demand for 2024 is the CPI + 3%, and for 2025, the CPI + 4%.

Some facts and figures to clarify the issues at the bargaining table

• Average salary of Front commun public-sector employees: $43,916
• Wage lag: -11.9%
• Overall compensation lag: -3.9%
• Percentage of workers represented by the Front commun who are women: 78%

For more information about the contract talks: https://www.frontcommun.org/.

The Front commun

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

Sources: 

CSN, CSQ, FTQ and APTS