People take part in a public sector union demonstration in Montreal, Saturday, September 23, 2023. The Quebec government is expected to present a contract offer today to public sector unions who are on the cusp of a strike. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Graham Hughes
QUEBEC – Three Quebec public sector unions federations representing around 430,000 workers say a new government contract offer is unacceptable.
Representatives of the unions, which have received a strike mandate from their members, told reporters in Quebec City they will walk out for a one-day strike on Nov. 6, which could be followed by further strike action.
Sonia LeBel, the chair of Quebec’s Treasury Board, said in a news release earlier in the day saying the government is offering salary increases of 14.8 per cent over five years – up from a previous offer of nine per cent.
She says she hopes a deal will be reached before the end of the year.
But the unions say that figure is misleading and workers would actually only see an increase of 10.3 per cent over five years.
François Enault, first vice-president of the Confédération des syndicats nationaux labour federation, says the offer is 11 per cent lower than a proposed contract rejected by provincial police and significantly less than the 30 per cent increase members of the province’s legislature voted themselves earlier this year.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Oct. 29, 2023.
Note to readers: This is a corrected story. A previous version said the term of the proposed contract was three years. It is, in fact, five years.
