Quebec, public sector unions reach agreement in principle on wages, working conditions

After weeks of negotiations, Quebec's common front of public sector unions, known as the Front commun in French, is one step closer to ending its strike. It reached an agreement in principle with the provincial government on both pay and working conditions. On Sunday, the common front, which represents about 420,000 public sector workers, announced that it had reached the agreement at the end of December in a news release.

It said the next step is for its members to sign off on the agreement. On salaries, the common front leaders have agreed to a 17.4 per cent increase over five years, with a six per cent increase for the first year — what it calls the largest salary bump in several decades. That's lower than the 20 per cent the common front called for when workers first hit the picket lines, but higher than the 12.7 per cent over five years the Quebec government proposed in early December and nearly double the 9 per cent Quebec proposed the previous year leading up to the strike.

The common front says the agreement also includes gains on working conditions, including a fifth week of vacation after 19 years of seniority, phased retirement extended to seven years, an additional day off for expecting parents and higher contributions to health insurance plans from employers. Unions belonging to the common front will be calling general assembly meetings from Jan.

15 to Feb. 19, when members will vote to accept or reject the agreement. The common front unions went on strike for 11 days in 2023. WATCH | Quebecers are striking for better workplace wages and conditions: Is this the most powerful generation of workers in decades? 1 month ago Duration 9:04 Canadian workers have been striking and rallying for better workplace wages and conditions throughout 2023.

And many non traditional industries are forming unions. We explore why this generation of workers has more bargaining power compared to the ones before them..