(Quebec) The Legault government’s new offer to state employees is “derisory” and “insulting”, respond the unions, who are staying focused on the strike days announced for next week.
The Legault government is putting on the table salary increases of 10.3% in five years for the 600,000 state employees, in addition to bonuses representing 3% for certain categories of workers and a lump sum for all of $1,000 the first year.
Quebec thus says that its overall proposal increases from 13% to 14.8% in five years compared to its first offer.
The president of the Treasury Board, Sonia LeBel, argues that the government is adding 1 billion recurring dollars per year in salary increases for everyone. “It’s a lot of money that we’re putting on the table to demonstrate our seriousness in wanting to negotiate,” she said after submitting her new offer on Sunday morning.
Its initial proposal, tabled in December 2022, provided for salary increases of 9% in five years, bonuses representing 2.5% for certain categories of workers and the payment of a lump sum of $1,000 in the first year (which represents a cost equivalent to 1.5% of the payroll).
With the new offer, recurring increases for all employees therefore increase from 9% to 10.3%. The addition of 1.3% would apply from the first year, Sonia LeBel said in an interview.
The share reserved for “differentiated offers”, for certain categories of workers, increases from 2.5% to 3%. It would be used, among other things, to hire classroom assistants, increase the remuneration of workers earning less than $52,000 and add bonuses to fill unfavorable shifts in the health sector.
The flat rate amount for everyone remains the same.
The new offer is “derisory” and “insulting,” said the president of the FTQ, Magali Picard. “We had hope”, but the government “continues this same regime, this same tone of arrogance and insult” towards its employees.
PHOTO JACQUES BOISSINOT, THE CANADIAN PRESS
The president of the FTQ, Magali Picard, commented on Quebec’s offer in the company of the president of the APTS, Robert Comeau (right), the first vice-president of the CSN, François Enault (2e on the right), and the president of the CSQ, Éric Gingras (on the left), during a press conference in Quebec, Sunday morning.
The vice-president of the CSN, François Enault, recalled that the Sûreté du Québec police officers rejected an agreement in principle including increases of 21% in five years and that the deputies voted for an increase of 30%.
The common union front – which brings together the CSN, the CSQ, the FTQ and the APTS – is demanding recurring salary increases representing around 20% in three years. His request was submitted a year ago.
COMMON FRONT DEMANDS
Consumer Price Index (CPI) + 2% increase for 2023
CPI + 3% for 2024
CPI + 4% for 2025
Note: the union demands represent total salary increases of approximately 21% if we take into account the CPI recorded in 2022 and the forecasts included in the Legault government budget for 2023 and 2024.
For Sonia LeBel, it is the turn of the unions to go a long way and review their demands.
This is not in the common front’s plans. “Before starting to move on our own offers, we will wait until there is movement” on the employer side, said François Enault, adding that the government did not meet the conditions to settle the negotiations before the Holidays as he said wish it.
The common front announced last week that its 420,000 members will be on strike on November 6. The game plan is maintained.
The mandate adopted by the common front provides for the ultimate resort to an unlimited general strike. The threat looms. “With an announcement like the one that was made [dimanche] morning, the level of frustration will only increase,” warned Magali Picard.
The 80,000 nurses and other workers of the Fédération interprofessionnelle de la santé du Québec (FIQ) will walk off the job on November 8 and 9. “Two feelings currently inhabit us: disappointment and anger,” summarized its vice-president Jérôme Rousseau after learning of the new offer.
Equally dissatisfied, the Autonomous Federation of Education (FAE) should soon set the date on which its 65,000 teachers will be on strike.
In the health sector, such as hospitals and CHSLDs, unions are required to ensure the maintenance of essential services, which is not the case in schools.
Furthermore, Sonia LeBel is extending only part of the bonuses which were to end on March 31 when the collective agreements expired. These bonuses, which total around $600 million per year, are mainly intended for health care workers. The part of the bonuses which is maintained until the signing of an agreement represents approximately 100 of the 600 million in question and aims to promote the retention of personnel in certain sectors (psychologists, DPJ workers, specialized workers, for example). However, the bonuses born during the health emergency, commonly called COVID bonuses, will end. “These are not bonuses that were there to stay,” argued Sonia LeBel.
The FIQ condemned Quebec’s decision. “All nurses, practical nurses, respiratory therapists and perfusionists will see their salaries cut by 3.5% in the coming days,” denounced Jérôme Rousseau.
Only one element of the new offer found favor in the eyes of the unions: Quebec renounced one of the two “major setbacks” that it wanted to impose on the pension plan.