A first union affiliated with the FTQ finally reached an agreement with the government on Sunday, early in the afternoon, which paves the way for an agreement at the so-called “central” table, where the Common Front negotiations take place, the missing piece to conclude public sector negotiations.
The negotiating committee of the Council of Colleges (CPC, SCFP) affiliated with the FTQ, representing college support staff, announced that it had concluded a “hypothetical settlement” on the working conditions specific to its members.
As with all the agreements reached over the past two days with the government, this must be presented to the delegates once an agreement has been reached at the so-called “central” table.
This is where the Common Front, which represents the four major union centers (CSN, CSQ, FTQ and APTS), discusses salary issues for them, in particular.
However, the agreement reached with a union of the FTQ suggests that several others could follow shortly for the other unions represented by this central which was the last not to have reached an agreement with the government on Saturday.
Once this is done, the vast majority of unions will have reached an agreement at the so-called “sectoral” tables, where issues specific to the working conditions of each trade are discussed, which paves the way for an agreement at the table. central.
In fact, since Saturday, the three other union centers have all announced that they have reached agreements at their respective sectoral tables. Thus, more than 90% of the approximately 420,000 Common Front workers have in hand a “settlement hypothesis” that their negotiators will present to their delegates after an agreement is reached at the central table.
The Common Front and the government have already expressed their wish to reach an agreement at the central table before December 25.
Who has heard so far?
The following unions all came to “hypothetical settlements” with the government. These will be presented to their delegates once an agreement has been reached at the central table where salary issues are still the subject of negotiations. Once ratified by the delegates, we can then speak of “agreements in principle” which will then be presented to the members for final adoption.
Education
- FSE-CSQ (Federation of Education Unions): 95,000 teachers from regions outside Greater Montreal and the National Capital.
- FNEEQ-CSN (National Federation of Teachers of Quebec): 35,000 members, including the vast majority of public CEGEP teachers, but also some working in private and university establishments.
- FPPE-CSQ (Federation of Education Professionals): 10,000 members spread across the majority of school service centers and school boards in Quebec.
- CPC – SCFP, FTQ (Council of Colleagues): employees of the college sector represented by CUPE which has 13,600 members in education.
- FPSS-CSQ (Federation of school support staff): 40,000 members, exclusively support staff.
- FEC-CSQ (Federation of College Education): 3,000 teachers from public CEGEPs.
- FPPC-CSQ (Federation of professional college staff): 1,600 members of the professional staff of CEGEPs.
- FPSES-CSQ (Federation of Higher Education Support Personnel): 4,301 members working in colleges, universities and organizations.
- FEESP-CSN (Federation of Public Service Employees): 65,000 members of various trades, but including 35,000 support employees at primary and secondary level and 600 at college level.
Health
- FSSS-CSN (Federation of Health and Social Services): 120,000 nurses, members of paratechnical and office staff and technicians, among others.
- APTS (Alliance of Professional and Technical Personnel in Health and Social Services): 65,000 professionals and technicians in the health and social services network.
- FSQ-CSQ (Quebec Health Federation): 5,000 nurses, practical nurses and respiratory therapists.
- FP-CSN (Federation of Professionals): 10,000 members, including 6,000 technicians working in the health and social services network, but also 200 professionals in the college education sector.