The Common Front presented the contents of the agreement in principle Sunday following negotiations with the government of Quebec this week.
This agreement is being recommended to the member organizations who will consult with their general assemblies in the weeks to come. The Front includes health care and education workers, with more than 400,000 employees.
They say their pressure tactics helped force the government to back down.
CSN President Jacques Létourneau said the Common Front had two priorities, to end the bloodletting of public sector workers and end the wage freeze.
If the contract is agreed upon, salaries will rise about 9 per cent over five years, despite the government's initial offering of only 3 per cent. It is to be distributed as follows:
- 2015: 1%
- 2016: 1.5%
- 2017: 1.75%
- 2018: 2%
- 2019: 2.4%
The public sector retirement age will be raised to 61 from 60 as of 2019, but employees who have at least 30 years of experience in the public sector may leave at 60 without penalty. The government was working to push the retirement age to 62.
An aide to Premier Philippe Couillard said despite settling with unions, the Quebec government will still manage to balance the budget and lower taxes before the end of its mandate.
