Common front and Quebec reach tentative agreement over pay for public sector workers

The common front of unions known in French as the Front commun, which represents about 420,000 public sector workers, said it reached a tentative agreement with the Quebec government around salaries Thursday. 

The unions that make up the common front had previously agreed on working conditions, but negotiations around salaries had stalled. The tentative deal between the common front and Quebec is the most significant movement at the negotiation table in months. 

The common front had been threatening an unlimited strike in the new year if no deal was made. That strike would keep public schools closed as the union represents thousands of teachers and support staff.

It could take up to three weeks for all the unions affiliated with the common front to have their members vote in favour of the agreement. The unions have said they want a solid agreement to avoid going through the lengthy process more than once.

The deal will not be presented to members until after holidays and its details have not been made public, but the offer is for a five year collective agreement.

FAE recommends an agreement in principle 

Meanwhile, the teachers' union that has been on an unlimited strike for over a month announced Thursday that it is recommending an agreement in principle to members of affiliated unions.

Consequently, the delegates have also voted to end the strike, which has kept 368,000 students home since Nov. 23.

The Fédération autonome de l'enseignement (FAE) says in a news release that it has determined the overall settlement proposal, agreed with the government Wednesday, constitutes an agreement in principle.

"The federation has taken a new step today by categorizing this proposal as a tentative agreement and ending a strike that lasted 22 days," said Mélanie Hubert, president of the FAE, in the news release.

"However, the ultimate step is to present it to the 66,500 members of the FAE, who have shown exemplary courage and determination in recent weeks. It is up to the teachers to respond to the government of François Legault and to say whether they feel heard."

Treasury Board Chair Sonia LeBel and Education Minister Bernard Drainville confirmed that the deal covered salaries and working conditions for the roughly 66,000 union members working at about 800 schools.

Jennifer Zimmerman, who has three daughters in primary school in Montreal, says she is trying to taper her excitement until the deal officially goes through. 

"I'm feeling very optimistic about this news. We haven't had much news to date so I'm taking this as a great sign that we're moving forward," she said.

Zimmerman says she has been worried about her children falling behind, and that the disruption of their routine has been hard on them. She said it isn't easy to juggle work, life and kids even when they are in school, so it's a "big sigh of relief" that there's a sign of things going back to normal.

"We're all just waiting and hoping it will move along quickly," she said.

The union says if its leadership approves the deal, the agreement in principle will be presented to members in the new year.

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The FAE's Federative Negotiating Council (FNC), is made up of around 70 people who are closer to the members on the ground.

If accepted by the FNC, the offer becomes an agreement in principle and the unlimited strike ends. Then, local unions vote on the agreement in principle, which can take up to a week. 

If members reject the agreement, they have to vote again to resume striking.

Martin Lejeune, a special education teacher in Quebec City, is hoping for a deal soon. 

"I hope it's going to be good news for us because it's been a really long strike," he said. He says he thought the strike would only last a few days.

Lejeune says he knows it's been a difficult few weeks for students and teachers, and would love to be back in class the week of Jan. 8.

"But we need the changes right away to keep the teachers in the profession," Lejeune said.

If the common front negotiates a better deal on salaries, a trailer clause ensures parity for FAE teachers.

The details of both deals won't be made public until after members vote.