The 420,000 union members of the Common Front in health, social services and education begin a three-day strike on Tuesday. Public primary and secondary schools are closed, as are public CEGEPs. Subject to the law on the maintenance of essential services, hospitals see their services disrupted. Non-urgent surgeries are postponed and medical appointments postponed.
The Common Front, made up of the CSN, the CSQ, the FTQ and the APTS, believe that the talks have been stalling for months at the sectoral negotiation tables. “It is high time that the government stops being intransigent and that, beyond the fine and deceptive speeches, it takes action and is open to the negotiation tables,” declared Josée Scalabrini, president, in a press release. of the Federation of Education Unions (FSE) affiliated with the CSQ. “We are determined to improve our working conditions, and we have many solutions to offer. »
“The government seems to be deliberately ignoring our existence and our demands,” add the Common Front union organizations which represent almost all of the teaching, support and professional staff in the public college network. “We are ready to negotiate and have been bringing solutions to our respective tables for more than a year, but we find ourselves facing a government more inclined to public announcements than to real negotiation,” they declare in a press release.
Common Front union health and social services spokespersons will hold a press briefing Tuesday at 11 a.m. in Montreal.
At the request of the Common Front unions, Minister Jean Boulet announced Monday the appointment of a conciliator in order to bring the parties closer together.
Further details will follow.
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