The Quebec government says it’s ready to reduce its contract demands on teachers, nurses, and other public sector workers, but only if the unions representing them are willing to do the same.
The unions, representing some 420,000 workers in health care, education and social services, have been in contract negotiations with the government following end of their collective agreements last March.
Quebec Treasury Board President Sonia LeBel is hoping to reach an agreement with them by the end of December, but she’s asking them for more wiggle room to be able to do so. Lebel says the unions have brought more than 100 demands to the table, and she’s asking them to cut those down to around five.
“If we want to have a real chance to reach an agreement by the end of the year, it’s time to make choices and for me the ball is in their court now,” LeBel said in an interview Tuesday.
In return for scaling back their demands, LeBel said she is ready to cut down her own list of demands to just a handful.
LeBel, who recently extended pandemic bonuses for public sector workers until mid-October, also says she will consider extending them even further to the end of the year — but only if they scale back their demands.
Opposition parties are concerned LeBel’s negotiation tactics could lead to further service disruptions in health and education.
“We need to answer those demands because if not it’s all our public services that are at risk,” said Québec Solidaire Treasury Board critic Christine Labrie.
“We hope that they reach an agreement. To that effect, it’s not by menacing the employees, the state employees, that you will achieve that goal,” added Quebec Liberal Party Interim Leader Marc Tanguay.
LeBel maintains she is working in good faith with the unions, and doing everything possible to avoid the possibility of a strike.
“Everybody has to understand that those bonuses, they were due to end six months ago, by agreement,” LeBel explained. “This is a contract that they signed with the government and they would be the first ones to tell me that I’m not respecting a contract.”
For their part, the unions say they are waiting to see LeBel’s reduced list of contract demands before offering up their own. But if they see no movement as far as salary increases and pension plans, CSN vice-president François Enault says a general strike in November is more than likely.
As for the public sector unions, they say they’d like to see LeBel’s shorter list of demands before reducing their own.
They say the ball is in the government’s court now as far as they’re concerned.
The unions also say if they don’t see any significant movement when it comes to salary increases and pension plans, there will likely be a general strike in November.
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