Public sector negotiations: Unions reject Quebec's offer of 13 per cent over five years

Treasury Board President Sonia LeBel tabled her offers to the public and parapublic sector employees on Thursday -- and the unions immediately rejected them.

The Health and Education Ministers Christian Dubé and Bernard Drainville accompanied LeBel as she met with unions.

The collective agreements in the public and parapublic sectors expire on March 31 and concern more than 500,000 public sector employees.

The unions are demanding wage increases above inflation -- two, three, and four per cent over three years, in addition to the equivalent of the Consumer Price Index (CPI).

Quebec is offering three per cent in the first year, and 1.5 per cent for each of the next four years, for a total of nine per cent over five years.

To this is an added 2.5 per cent, over five years, "in order to meet government priorities," according to LeBel. The government is therefore offering 11.5 per cent over five years, she said.

"This offer is in line with expected inflation," she argued.

In addition, the government is offering a lump sum of $1,000 in the first year "to recognize the contribution of employees to their network."

"Thus, the government's offer for the next five years amounts to 13 per cent over five years," said LeBel.

REAL IMPROVEMENTS ON THE GROUND?

It's not just a question of salary, LeBel added at her press conference, insisting that the way work is organized must be reviewed to improve services.

"We have to admit that the major government investments we have made, particularly in health and education, have not had the expected effects on the ground," she said.

She proposed setting up three forums to discuss support for school and health teams.

"The population, the students, the patients are still waiting for concrete results, and I think it is time to seriously question what is not working and why it is not working," said LeBel.

The last negotiation, which took place at the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, led to significant gains, including recognition for orderlies and a salary catch-up for teachers. Salary increases were also higher for the lowest-paid workers.

"The fundamental question ... is why it is still so difficult to implement measures that were agreed with the unions, that were signed?" LeBel asked.

UNIONS REACT

"It takes two people to tango," the vice-president of the Confederation of National Trade Unions (CSN), François Enault, said at a press conference shortly afterwards.

The unions, grouped together as a common front (the Fédération des travailleurs du Québec (FTQ), the Centrale des syndicats du Québec (CSQ), the APTS and the CSQ, did not take long to react by opposing the government's proposals.

"Our counterparts in front of us (managers) should spend less time disciplining us for peanut butter toast and work on schedules with us. It's all well and good to say it didn't happen, if managers don't take the time to do it," added Enault.

"The problems with the cumbersome nature of the system are not their responsibility, but that of the managers," added Robert Comeau, president of the Alliance of Professional and Technical Personnel in Health and Social Services (APTS).

"If we accept (the government's offer), our members will certainly be impoverished," said QFL president Daniel Boyer.

"Our first objective is to come back with clauses to protect purchasing power," he continued, referring to inflation, which is much higher than the proposed wage increases.

Finally, the common front is also strongly opposed to setting up the three proposed forums to discuss work organization.

"(It's a) waste of time," according to the union leaders. They say there are already sectoral tables, set up for negotiations, which are used to address precisely these issues.

If it's a matter of asking for more flexibility in how work is organized simply to demand more from staff, it's a no-go, they insisted.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published in French on Dec. 15, 2022.