'Our people are ready': General strike possible in Quebec health, education, social services
Thousands of public-sector workers carried turquoise flags Saturday afternoon through downtown Montreal. The workers, representing a collaboration of several unions, say they’re ready to launch general strike unless the Quebec government can give them a “respectable” offer.
The march took place while unions across the province negotiate new collective agreements with the Quebec government.
Presidents of the four major unions that form the common front, the CSQ, the FTQ, the APTS and the CSN, spoke to the media ahead of the march, while dozens of yellow buses unloaded demonstrators near Jeanne-Mance Park.
About 420,000 public-sector workers make up the common-front. They primarily work in health, social services, education and higher education.
“People are angry,” said François Enault, vice-president of the CSN, referring to Quebec's proposal to increase the salaries of public sector workers by 9 per cent over five years. He says that’s just not enough.
“We were called guardian angels throughout the pandemic. When it's time to pay for good working conditions, they no longer listen to us,” said CSQ president Éric Gingras.
Union leaders say they’re ready to launch a general strike if the government doesn’t offer more.
“We don't hope to get there, (but) it's a last resort. We are preparing to do it, because it takes a long time to achieve strike mandates in the public sector,” said Robert Comeau, president of the APTS.
“Our people are ready.”
“If you look at the number of school buses that are here, of chartered planes that left Abitibi this morning – our people are ready, because they have nothing left to lose,” said FTQ president Magali Picard.
People take part in a public sector union demonstration in Montreal, Saturday, September 23, 2023. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Graham Hughes
FOR THE NEXT GENERATION
Demonstrators descended on Montreal from all over the province.
“This is for our working conditions, and the conditions of the people who will come after us,” said Andrée Morin, who works at the CIUSSS du Saguenay-Lac-Saint-Jean, and flew in to the city for the protest. “We can’t go backwards, we must continue to move forward.”
Joanie St-George, a secretary in a school in the Joliette region, said she was inspired by her two veteran colleagues, who she walked with during the march.
“I am the next generation,” she said. “There's a shortage of manpower, and we can't keep our best people. If we want things to work, we need to have salaries that attract people, and keeps them working, too.'
Patricia Gauthier-Grégoire, who works with people who have physical disabilities in a rehabilitation center, also said she was concerned about working conditions in her field.
“These are people who have higher education, and who lose purchasing power every year,” she said. “We are losing workers … who will instead work jobs where the salaries and conditions are better.”
This report by The Canadian Press was first published in French on Sept. 23, 2023.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories

Poilievre calling on 'unelected' Senate to 'immediately' pass farm fuels carbon tax bill
Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre is pushing for MPs to call on senators to 'immediately' pass a bill that would exempt certain farm fuels from the carbon price.
Chicago Blackhawks to terminate Corey Perry's contract after finding 'unacceptable' conduct
The Chicago Blackhawks said Corey Perry engaged in unacceptable conduct and took a step Tuesday toward terminating his contract, the latest twist involving the veteran winger who was mysteriously scratched and sent home last week without explanation.
Short-term rental tax changes left out of Freeland's bill to implement fiscal update measures, here's why
Finance Minister Chrystia Freeland will be tabling an omnibus bill to pass measures she promised in last week's fall economic statement. Missing from the package are the government's promised plans to crack down on short-term rentals, while the Liberal promise to double the carbon tax rural rebate top-up, is included.
Frank the Tank, a tortoise found wandering a B.C. field, gets a new home
Adoption requests came from as far away as New Zealand, but Frank the Tank, a 17-kilogram tortoise found wandering in a Richmond bok choy field last month, will be staying in British Columbia.
French police arrest yoga guru accused of exploiting female followers
French authorities arrested the leader of a multinational tantric yoga organization Tuesday on suspicion of indoctrinating female followers for sexual exploitation.
OPINION Advice on dealing with 'quiet hiring' in the workplace
In a column for CTVNews.ca, personal finance writer Christopher Liew tackles 'quiet hiring' -- a term referring to companies that quietly hire from their own talent pool rather than look elsewhere -- and outlines some tips for employees on how to take advantage of the practice.
Customer sues Chopt eatery chain over salad that she says contained a piece of manager's finger
A customer has filed a lawsuit against the fast casual chain Chopt over a salad that she says contained a piece of the manager's finger.
Alex Murdaugh sentenced to 27 years for financial fraud after victims angrily confront him in court By Jeffrey Collins
For years, South Carolina attorney Alex Murdaugh looked his anguished clients in the eyes and promised to help them with their medical bills, their suffering or simply to survive. Then he stole most, if not all, of what he won for many of them.
High-fat flight is first jetliner to make fossil-fuel-free transatlantic crossing from London to NY
The first commercial airliner to cross the Atlantic on a purely high-fat, low-emissions fuel flew Tuesday from London to New York in a step toward achieving what supporters called 'jet zero.'