The difficult negotiations in the public sector reach their climax on Thursday. At the same time, unions representing almost 570,000 workers are on strike.
The Autonomous Education Association, which represents around 66,000 primary and secondary school teachers, is starting an indefinite general strike on Thursday.
Its nine member unions are the Montreal Teachers’ Alliance, the West Montreal Teaching Union, the Pointe-de-l’Ile Teaching Union, the Laval Region, the Basses-Laurentides Teaching Union, the Seigneuries Teaching Union, the Outaouais Teaching Union Haute-Yamaska Teaching Union and education in the Quebec region.
The Interprofessional Health Federation (FIQ), which represents 80,000 nurses, practical nurses, respiratory therapists and clinical perfusionists, will strike on Thursday and Friday.
Depending on the supply unit, essential services are planned. The Administrative Labor Court has already approved the service specifications. In addition, the all-union Common Front, which represents 420,000 workers through its four affiliates – CSN, CSQ, APTS and FTQ – will then hold the last of its three consecutive days of strike.
The common front is present in all sectors: healthcare, social services, CEGEPs and primary and secondary schools. In particular, it represents the majority of teachers, carers and tens of thousands of support staff, technicians and specialists in health and social services.
Another union was added to the strike groups. On Thursday and Friday, 700 professionals from 10 universities and members of the Union of Government Professionals of Quebec (SPGQ) will join the strikers.
The government can certainly say: “It doesn’t work with the Common Front”, but there it doesn’t work with the FIQ, it doesn’t work with the FAE, it doesn’t work… Anyway, wait a minute, it doesn’t work for anyone! However, you have to ask yourself some questions! We must not forget the strike [jeudi], nearly 600,000 people will be on the streets of Quebec. This will be the largest strike ever in Canada, said François Enault, vice-president of the CSN.