(Montreal) Strike votes begin Monday in the unions of the four organizations that form the common front of the public sector. Assemblies will be held until October 13.
The common front, made up of the CSN, the CSQ, the APTS and the FTQ, is asking its 420,000 members for a mandate for an unlimited general strike. A possible indefinite strike would, however, be preceded by strike days, either isolated or grouped together.
At the CSN, 33 general assemblies must be held during this first week of votes, from September 18 to 24.
At the FTQ, “at least twenty” strike votes are planned for the week that begins in the affiliated unions.
At the CSQ, “a few” are planned this week in the areas of primary, secondary, college and health education. The assemblies will be held mainly during the second and third week, it was specified.
On the APTS side, in health and social services, several assemblies are planned for this week in the Integrated Health and Social Services Centers (CISSS) of Lanaudière, Laval, Montérégie-Ouest, Mauricie–Centre-du-Québec, as well as the CIUSSS du Nord-de-l’Île-de-Montréal and du Centre-Ouest-de-l’île-de-Montréal and also virtually for members in Montreal.
The president of the APTS, Robert Comeau, has no doubts about obtaining a solid strike mandate.
“We feel the indignation. We sense the impatience to reach a settlement. We feel that people see that there is a lack of listening on the part of the government in their requests, particularly for salaries, but also to resolve work overloads,” he reports.
“We also tell them that it is difficult at the negotiating tables, that there are few constructive discussions taking place. So I don’t see how it could end other than with a strong strike mandate,” Mr. Comeau opined in an interview.
Since APTS members work in health and social services, they will have to provide essential services in the event of a walkout. Mr. Comeau assures that everything is tied up in this chapter.
“Yes, it’s over. There are a few things to adjust, but nothing major, nothing that would stop us from taking action. It was done well in all establishments. Then, of course, we will strictly stick to what was agreed with the employer to ensure essential services to the population. We will be very, very rigorous on this,” promised Mr. Comeau.
The pressure is building
So, the pressure builds on both sides.
For its part, Quebec announced that various bonuses paid to public sector workers will end on September 30. This affects nurses, specialized workers, psychologists, among others.
This means a loss of earnings for thousands of workers in public services while these bonuses are renegotiated.
The collective agreements expired on March 31. The union demands were submitted in the fall of 2022 and Quebec submitted its offers in December 2022.
Quebec offers all state employees a 9% increase over five years, plus a lump sum of $1,000 for the first year of the employment contract. He also wants to devote the equivalent of 2.5% to “government priorities”, which means that he presents his offer as equivalent to 13% over five years.
The common front, for its part, demands $100 per week or the equivalent of the Consumer Price Index plus 2% for the first year – depending on the formula that would be most advantageous for the worker – then the CPI plus 3% for the second year, then the CPI plus 4% for the third year.