Quebec government to present contract offer to unions on cusp of strike Sunday

The Quebec government is expected to present a contract offer today to public sector unions who are on the cusp of a strike. Several union federations, representing around 430,000 workers, have said they're planning their first strike day for Nov. 6, while 80,000 members of a nurses union plan to strike Nov. 8 and 9. The negotiations have lasted for months, with the unions presenting their demands last fall and initial government offers coming last December. Quebec is offering workers a nine per cent salary increase over five years, with an additional lump sum of $1,000 the first year. A group of unions that include many of the affected workers are looking for a three-year contract with raises equivalent to the increase in the consumer price index plus two per cent the first year, with further increases in the second and third years. The union group is scheduled to react to the new government offer later this morning. This report by The Canadian Press was first published Oct. 29, 2023