Quebec wants public sector unions to submit counter-offer in strike negotiations

Quebec's treasury board president is imploring unionized workers to table a counter-offer to the government's last contract proposal ahead of this week's planned, provincewide public sector strikes.

Sonia LeBel published a short video on X, formerly known as Twitter, Sunday saying the province's last offer was a serious one and merited a counter-proposal, but the unions have not submitted a reply.

The province is negotiating with unions representing some 600,000 public sector workers over new contracts.

Teachers, nurses, health care workers, junior college professors and other public sector employees will be on strike at various times during the next week.

Last month, unions rejected Quebec's latest contract offer for all employees — a 10.3 per cent salary increase over five years and a one-time payment of $1,000 to each worker, up slightly from the nine per cent over the same term offered last December.

The government has said the offer was serious and in line with inflation forecasts, but the unions have described the offer as insulting.

Unions have previously sought a three-year contract with annual increases tied to the inflation rate: two percentage points above inflation in the first year or $100 per week, whichever is more beneficial, followed by three points higher in the second year and four points higher in the third.

Negotiations are still ongoing, with three dates added next week, said François Enault, vice-president of the Confédération des Syndicats Nationaux (CSN).

Even so, the three announced strike days will still be held this coming week, he said.

"As for Lebel's expectations, we'll say it again: we've given plenty of proposals and signals at the table. Just because we didn't announce it on social media doesn't mean it wasn't done," said Enault. 

"If the government wants to negotiate rather than plead, it has everything it needs to move forward."

Enault said the CSN hopes to reach an agreement by Christmas and avoid a general strike. He said he hopes Quebecers stand behind the striking workers as they are "fighting to have good public services across Quebec."