Will 2024 begin in Quebec with a major strike?
The authorities never managed to reach an agreement with the civil servants.
After three major strikes and numerous rounds of negotiations, Quebec provincial authorities have failed to reach an agreement with the four unions united in the Common Front representing public sector employees. This could lead to a global indefinite strike.
The latest failure
The third and final strike lasted a week: from December 8 to 14. 420,000 public employees from the health, social services and education sectors did not come to work. During that time, all schools in the province, some hospitals and a large percentage of other public institutions were closed. As a result, Quebec authorities formulated a new proposal for the Common Front and the separately striking teachers' union, FAE, Fédération autonome de l'enseignement (of French-speaking schools).
While the teachers (their strike lasts longer — 4 weeks) continue to consider the Treasury's offer, the Common Front has already rejected it. Despite this, the provincial government still says it hopes to reach an agreement with the unions by the end of 2023.
And what if I don't?
Common Front representatives say they have two main demands that the Treasury is not yet trying to address: guaranteed inflation protection and acceptable pay and working conditions. If Quebec does not put forward a suitable proposal in the coming days, hundreds of thousands of employees will go on indefinite strike early in the new year.
By Dec. 21, the start date for a possible indefinite strike has not yet been set, meaning the government still has time and opportunity to prevent it.
An indefinite strike is a work stoppage with no set end date. Striking workers remain on the street until they agree to a new deal or are forced to return to work. However, the Quebec government has repeatedly stated that it does not intend to resolve the issue by coercion.
