On November 12, 2014, François Legault called the Liberals to order. “We cannot on the one hand ask municipal employees for one thing and not apply it to ourselves,” he said.
It was in full negotiation of collective agreement with the municipal employees. Philippe Couillard’s government demanded that they contribute equally to their pension plan. The deputies, however, only paid 21% – the taxpayers picked up the rest of the bill.
At the initiative of the CAQ leader, the National Assembly unanimously adopted a motion in which elected officials pledged to contribute 50% of their pension plan.
Mr. Legault had previously made this request to the Marois government. The PQ had refused, and the Liberals ultimately did not follow through on the motion.
In power for five years, the Caquists have had time to act. But like their predecessors, they basically adapt very well to this system which promises them good days in retirement.
In 2014 as today, this is not likely to encourage union concessions.
With whom to compare employees paid by the public to determine their salary?
Thanks to their powerful lobby, doctors had convinced Quebec to catch up with the Canadian average. They ended up exceeding it, even though the cost of living is lower here.
The members of the National Assembly were already better paid than those of the other provinces, and they are now approaching their federal counterparts.
Teachers will not be so lucky. Looks like there was no room left for them in the elevator…
It is true that the 30% salary increase for elected officials was made under a different mechanism. There was no question of catching up with the rest of the country. Instead, MNAs were compared to other public executives of equivalent level in Quebec. The same logic goes for the $70,900 leap for the Prime Minister’s chief of staff – this critical and difficult position has been rated against some deputy ministers.
Such adjustments are not negotiated. They are made by decree or by means of a law. This was also done to address an inequity between corrections officers and similar trades.
The deputies are not numerous. An increase in their salary therefore has a modest impact on public finances, unlike the 600,000 civil servants. Nevertheless, it would be more prudent to lead by example.
The 30% increase in their salary is even more impressive than you might think. It also applies to allowances such as the bonus for parliamentary assistants or committee chairmen. And, of course, this causes the retirement pension to rise.
To justify the gap between public and private employees, Quebec pleads that global compensation must be considered, like the pension plan.
That should apply to MPs. However, their advantageous income remains intact. Quebec says it simply applied the recommendations of an independent report, but the authors of this document did not have the mandate to examine the pension plan.
When it was founded, the CAQ declared that its priority would be education. Mr. Legault pledged to raise teachers’ salaries. And he did as promised in his first term, including abolishing the lower rungs.
Quebec is committed to adding a little more. However, the president of the Treasury Board, Sonia LeBel, insists that the key is the organization of work.
However, his government shows by example that money is important… The unions could not ask for better to mobilize their troops.
Mme LeBel is offering a $12,000 bonus to teachers eligible to retire who will stay on the job in September. She asks the unions not to slow down the negotiations too much during the summer.
She is absolutely right to be worried. It would be surprising if the conflict were settled before the start of the school year, and the students would be the losers.
Even if the minister is trying to avoid the worst for the students, her bonus was designed a little hastily. As my colleague Tommy Chouinard explains, it risks having no effect – a more generous bonus is already in effect and teachers cannot combine the two.
Quebec and the unions say they want to improve the organization of work in order to attract and retain more teachers. However, they do not interpret it the same way.
Without abolishing seniority, Mr.me LeBel would like to make this criterion less decisive in order to better distribute the work between young people and veterans. The unions are demanding less administrative tasks and more autonomy, especially in training.
These differences are normal. What should not be, however, is the length of the negotiation. As usual, she drags.
The small industry of bargaining serves those who make a living out of it – both state-hired lawyers and union advisers.
Unions have a particular interest in taking their time.
Before going on strike, they must request mediation and then wait a few weeks to see if a compromise is possible. They have just triggered this mechanism.
When they have the right to disengage, their balance of power will be at its maximum. They are therefore encouraged to wait for this moment before agreeing.
Still, it was not necessary that the caquistes frustrate them even more with vexatious statements like that of Bernard Drainville and the gifts offered to the deputies.
The work of M.me LeBel is tough enough, his co-workers don’t have to aim so well when shooting his rowboat.