The latest warning to Quebec authorities is the start of a global strike
The public sector didn't come out to work.
More than 420,000 public sector workers began a seven-day strike on Friday, Dec. 8. It is intended to force the Quebec government to pay more decent wages and improve working conditions.
The dates for the strike were set at the end of November when, after the previous three-day strike, the Treasury failed to make an acceptable offer. Now hundreds of thousands of public servants represented by the united Common Front (made up of four unions) will not work until next Friday — the last day of the strike is set for December 14.
On the morning of December 8, a crowd of striking union members gathered in front of the National Assembly in Quebec City. And in Montreal, protesters marched through the main streets.
In response, Sonia Lebel, Quebec's treasury board president, said negotiations with the unions will intensify:
"We're at a crucial moment because everyone seems to be on the same page, including the common front, in wanting to come to an agreement before the end of the year."
She was not wrong in this statement — the unions do intend to resolve the final issue of labor conditions by the end of the month. Strictly speaking, some leaders said that they hope to sign an agreement with the government by December 18 — otherwise they are ready to start an indefinite strike.
Schools and hospitals are closed
If this scenario materializes, the 420,000 striking civil servants (among them health, education and social services employees) will join another indefinite strike that has already begun. Since November 23, teachers from the Fédération autonome de l'enseignement (FAE) have not been on the job. This means that for the third week, some 368,000 pupils in French-speaking schools are staying at home.
And starting today, all schools in the province are closed — at least until December 14. That means about 1.2 million students are now at home.
A little later, the Fédération Interprofessionnelle de la santé du Québec (FIQ), the union representing 80,000 nurses and other health care workers, will join the strikers. They rejected a deal offer on Thursday, Dec. 7. The medics were offered the same terms as the Common Front. FIQ will begin their strike on Monday, December 11, and it will last 4 days.
The strike plan
Earlier this week, the Common Front rejected the government's latest proposal, which included a 12.7% pay rise over five years. This is already 2.4% higher than the first offer, but still not enough to cover inflation in full. In addition, the strikers also intend to seek extra pay for night and weekend shifts and more vacation days.
Common Front unions have already scheduled meetings with government negotiators for the duration of the strike.
