MONTREAL – The details of an agreement between the Quebec government and a coalition of public sector unions were released Sunday.
The deal, which was agreed upon Thursday, will see a base salary increase of 9.1 per cent over five years.
The unions, which represent some 400,000 healthcare workers, teachers and civil servants, were hoping for a 13.5 per cent salary increase over three years while the government had countered with 7.5 per cent over five years.
WATCH BELOW: Province and public sector unions reach agreement in principle
A sticking point in the negotiations was the retirement age, with the province suggesting a retirement age of 61, whereas the unions were demanding 60.
Lucie Martineau, spokesperson for the Secrétariat intersyndical des Services Public, said that the government warned the unions that a deal would not be possible if they were unwilling to compromise on this point.
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“We worked hard to minimize the impacts through negotiations,” she said in a written statement.
Starting in 2019, the age of retirement without incurring financial penalties will be 61, although a small caveat will allow those with 30 years of service to retire at age 60.
The agreement will be submitted to the different unions for approval in the following weeks. Workers have been without a contract since March 31, 2015, leading to months of unrest and strikes.
The heads of the member unions warned that no matter the outcome, the fight against government austerity measures would continue.
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