Montreal

Quebec nurses' union FIQ reaches tentative deal on salaries and retirement

The nurses union is among the last to sign onto the province's deal, which will raise salaries by 9.1 per cent over five years.

The union is the latest to agree to the new five year deal with the province

The union represents over 65,000 workers, including the majority of Quebec nurses. (Jacques Boissinot/The Canadian Press)

Nurses will receive a 9.1 per cent raise over five years after a tentative deal was reached with the Quebec government and the federation of labour unions representing nurses.

The Fédération Interprofessionnelle de la Santé du Québec (FIQ), which represents nurses, is one of the last major unions to agree to the new five-year contract with the province.

The nurses' union wanted a 14.5 per cent raise over three years, the same increase that other public sector unions had asked for.

The collective agreement would also raise the retirement age to 61 from 60.  

The union still needs to vote on the agreement.

The province wanted the age to be 62.

On Dec. 5, the union reached a deal on working conditions and staffing.

That deal included a higher ratio of nurses to patients, bonuses for working critical care shifts, and a higher number of full-time positions.

The FIQ represents 65,000 health-care workers across the province,

The Fédération autonome de l'enseignement (FAE) which represents about 30,000 teachers is still without a deal, a spokesperson for the union said.