The common front of the public sector calls for mediation

Jacques Boissinot The Canadian Press Union leaders Éric Gingras, Robert Comeau, Magali Picard and François Énault, during a demonstration of the common front, March 30, in Quebec City

The public sector inter-union common front requests mediation in its negotiations with Quebec — a significant step towards intensifying the mobilization of its 420,000 members.

The common front's request for mediation comes the day after the statement by the President of the Treasury Board, Sonia LeBel, wanting to speed up the pace of these negotiations with a view to renewing the collective agreements, even this summer if necessary.

But the common front, which is made up of the CSN, the CSQ, the FTQ and the APTS, maintains that these declarations do not translate to the tables and that Quebec is only interested in discussing its own priorities, rather than those union members.

These workers, already irritated by the shortage of personnel and the ensuing work overload, “very badly received” the Legault government's announcement of a $30,000 raise for elected officials, reports the President of the Alliance of Professional and Technical Personnel in Health and Social Services (APTS), Robert Comeau.

The mediator will serve as an independent third party to try to bring the parties closer together. He will then report on the progress of his work.