“If the union leaders agreed to change their stance, get out of their lockdown logic and discuss with us to change things, things would move faster. That’s what Quebec Premier François Legault wrote in a scathing Facebook post on Saturday morning.
This intervention comes as the Quebec government is in the midst of negotiations with public sector unions, representing more than 600,000 workers, whose collective agreements expire on March 31. Employees in the health and education networks are particularly concerned.
Treasury President Sonia Lebel recently set up discussion forums outside of regular bargaining sessions to hold discussions with unions. “Unfortunately, the unions don’t want to come and sit down in the forums to discuss with us,” denounced Mr Legault. The union leaders are in a closed logic and don’t want to come and discuss things differently to change things. »
The unions, for their part, accuse the government of not being active enough at the negotiating table. “Our teams are ready, they have presented very concrete solutions at each of the negotiating tables and have proposed several meeting dates, but the leading party does not seem to want to be so available,” denounced the CSN representative to FTQ, CSQ and APTS in a joint press release that was released on February 16th.
For his part, Mr Legault claims that until negotiations are completed, the population to whom his message is directed will suffer. “Meanwhile, you are the ones waiting in the ER and the nurses who work in difficult conditions. Meanwhile, teachers are working in less than ideal conditions. […] I sincerely hope that union leaders will quickly agree to be part of the solution. We are waiting for you. »
The FTQ denounces “disinformation”.
In an interview with The Canadian Press, FTQ President Magali Picard regrets that the message conveyed by Prime Minister Legault was “wrong” and accuses the Legault government of “disinformation”.
“It’s all a big lie!” Unions are more than willing to negotiate,” said the head of Quebec’s largest union.
She claims that the discussion forums proposed by the Quebec government are not part of a “legal framework” that would allow negotiations to proceed. “The day we show up there we will talk, but when it comes time to ratify that the government can back down and we have no way of saying that didn’t happen. »
“What is needed is to sit down, negotiate, ratify these negotiations and bring about changes as soon as possible in the workplaces of all those people who have kept Quebec at bay for years,” stresses the President of the FTQ.
The government presented an offer on December 15, which was flatly rejected by the unions. It included an overall salary increase of 9% over five years, plus an additional 2.5% increase over the same period “to allow the government to meet its priorities”. The government also offered a lump sum of $1,000 for the first year.
The Unions’ Common Front had rejected these offers, calling them “starving”.
With the Canadian Press