Front Commun, Representing Over 400,000 Workers, Declares Strike from Dec. 8-14
By Taqwa Mohamed-Mahdi
In a show of collective strength, hundreds of thousands of public sector workers in Quebec are gearing up for a week-long strike in December as contract negotiations with the provincial government hit an impasse. The Front Commun, a coalition of four major public sector unions representing around 420,000 members in health, education, and social services, made the announcement on Tuesday morning.
The tentative strike, scheduled for December 8–14, follows a recent three-day strike by the common front, which resulted in school closures and disruptions in the healthcare network. As the deal remains elusive, workers are intensifying their pressure tactics to demand fair treatment and a reasonable salary increase.
“We’re on strike because our collective agreement is expired and the government isn’t offering us a fair salary increase. There are other issues too, but salary is the main one. It’s the same thing for our support staff too,” said a teacher from an English school board to Immigrant Workers Center (IWC-CTI) editor
Ms. Eleni, a teacher at Coronation Elementary School, explained, “The reason we are striking is that our contract with the government is up for negotiation. Unfortunately, our union has been negotiating with the government, and negotiations have not been going well. The government does not want to increase their offer. Therefore, we strike to put pressure on the government to accept the offer that the unions are requesting.”
The disparity in salaries is a focal point of the workers’ discontent. Teachers in Quebec, the lowest-paid across Canada, have seen their base salary increase by only 15.6% over eight years, according to the Quebec Provincial Association of Teachers. This stands in stark contrast to the Sûreté du Québec (SQ), which recently rejected a 21% increase over five years. Nurses, grappling with insufficient staffing and demanding schedules, have reportedly resorted to sleeping at hospitals between double or triple shifts.
“We’re always understaffed; we work overtime and do not get paid enough. Our salary is not enough to pay for our expenses due to high inflation.” a health care provider said
A striking revelation is that 78% of the entire public sector workforce comprises women. Critics argue that the government’s reluctance to address the workers’ demands reflects a disregard for women’s needs, encompassing fair salaries, improved working conditions, and respect. This underscores a broader issue of systemic neglect of the crucial role women play in the public sector and society at large.
With the threat of a prolonged strike looming, the workers and their unions are sending a resounding message to the Quebec government: addressing the concerns of its “guardian angels” is not just a negotiation but a matter of societal priorities and respect for the backbone of essential services.
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